August 2010 Archives

I am unique and acceptable to God, and I accept others as I accept myself.
The Golden Rule advises me to treat others as I would like to be treated. Jesus said to love others as I love myself. Guided by this teaching, I practice acceptance. I accept my oneness with God as the ultimate gift and know that I am loved unconditionally. I acknowledge other people as being one with God and know that nothing can separate us from divine love.

I accept diversity of beliefs, customs and practices as reminders that every one of us is a unique part of the whole of creation. I am tolerant and understanding in order to establish a greater connection with everyone I meet. I follow Jesus' example and trust the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction as I practice acceptance of myself and others.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and your neighbor as yourself.--Luke 10:27

Nicki Minaj revealed a couple of her Hollywood A List crushes in a recent interview with People Magazine.

Surprisingly to some, the stars that Nicki Minaj mentioned were bot women.

Charlize Theron, who starred in Devil's Advocate and Monster, was the first celebrity crush that Nicki Minaj admitted.

The South African actress, who won an Oscar for her role in the 2003 film Monster, has made quite the impression on Nicki Minaj. “She’s a bad bitch.

I think she’s really, really perky.”

Jada Pinkett Smith also caught the eye of Nicki Minaj and is described as one of her Hollywood favorites. “If it were raining I’d give Jada Pinkett my umbrella n put my rain coat on the puddle in front of her.”

A St. Lucian soccer star in New York for a tournament was shot to death in Brooklyn early Monday, hours after scoring a goal that sent his team to the finals, police sources said.

Isidore Phillip Tisson, 27, was shot in a car outside a Crown Heights cafe around 4:25 a.m. where he’d stopped after leaving a nightclub where the team celebrated.

When Tisson climbed back into the car, an unknown gunman approached from behind, and opened fire. Sources say the bullet passed through Tisson’s head and struck a 24-year-old woman who was seated next to him in the chest.

She was taken to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, police said. Two other women who were in the car were unhurt.

According to information from the Ministry of Health Jamaica has recorded its first death from dengue haemorrhagic fever yesterday.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Sheila Campbell Forrester, in expressing condolence to the family members of the individual, who resided in Manchester, yesterday urged persons to be vigilant in identifying and destroying mosquito breeding sites.

"Look for anything in which water can settle and either cover it, keep the area dry, clean it regularly, fill it with soil or sand, punch holes into it or recycle or dispose of it," the chief medical officer said.

"As much as possible, persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors," a health ministry statement added.

Jamaica has so far recorded 120 confirmed cases of dengue fever, including three cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever, the ministry said.

She went on Twitter and write up a bag a things including that she is single again and loving it.

Right away the media antennae go up and dem call har fi ask bout it and of course she talk that she was just messing around, but in the same story she get to talk about her new lingerie line and new album.

Now what we say is that this is a more creative way to get a write up then staging feuds with each other to stay in the spotlight.

Check out Lady Saw tweet that send out the red flag: "When you give a man second chances over and over again and he [expletive] again and again leave his sorry [expletive]."

Later in the night, she said: "To all Twitter and Facebook informer bring back this to you know who. Am single and loving it."

A police constable who allegedly discharged his weapon yesterday while at a party on a boat in Ocho Rios, was last night killed by his colleagues during a shoot-out which started at the Ocho Rios Police Station in St Ann.

Reports are that Sheldon Williams, a policeman attached to the police armory in Kingston, was warned that he would be prosecuted after he did a gun salute aboard a vessel.

He was picked up by the police as he disembarked and taken to the station for processing. It is alleged that Williams’ weapon was taken from him and placed on the table, but he somehow managed to pick it up and ran from the station, firing.

Further reports are that the police fired back.

During the shootout, which ended near the Ocho Rios bypass where Williams collapsed, another officer was injured. They were both taken to the hospital where Williams was pronounced dead.

Williams’ father and a politician in the area, who is related to the dead cop have condemned the killing. “They must have known he was a policeman, so why did they treat him that way?” his father is reported as saying.

Kerwin Bollers, of Hits and Jams Entertainment, has said that the organizers were not on top of security during recent concerts staged as part of the ‘Jamzone Summer Break Weekend.’

The promoter said Hits and Jams received no reports about cars being vandalized, but that they were aware of security breaches inside the stadium, “some of which were beyond our control.”

He said the company imported security rails from Trinidad and Tobago to secure the VIP area, and that it managed to hold off crowds until Jamaican singer, Mavado performed.

Bollers said security systems were in place, but there were also emergency changes and many of the details changed from time to time for “various reasons.”

He said the Guyana Police Force, which was working with Hits and Jams, was forced to change the security arrangements because of the large number of government officials and dignitaries who turned out.

“We invited a lot of them, but we didn’t expect that they would all come,” he added.

Mavado was responsible for the security breach in the VIP area, according to Bollers.

He said the Jamaican singer encouraged people to “come over the rails” while he was on stage and what ensued was a mad rush by hundreds of persons to get closer.

“This is when things went wrong and we tried to control what was happening at the time, but the rail system couldn’t hold off the amount of people that were pushing it,” he said.

According to Bollers, the team was contemplating whether to call an abrupt halt to the show at that stage because they had feared “several things.”

However, a decision was taken to let the show continue since the sudden halt might have triggered something major. He said that certain elements used that opportunity while in the VIP area to rob others.

Bollers disclosed that his team had particular concerns for the Mavado show because of the “type of following that Movado has,” so they worked on keeping security strict.

The focus was to keep
Based on reports reaching Stabroek News, close to 100 vehicles were stripped and valuables stolen during the string of events promoted by Bollers‘ company; many at the parking lot adjacent to the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, where concerts were held.

Confirmed reports also indicated that patrons were robbed in the VIP area while Jamaican dancehall artist Mavado was on stage, headlining the Regional Night concert at the stadium.

Bollers referred to the robberies as “unfortunate,” saying that they have since apologized to the patrons who approached them.

International news agency Reuters is reporting that US authorities want to extradite David Smith, former OLINT boss, from the Turks and Caicos Islands for his involvement in one of the Caribbean's biggest financial fraud cases.

The report quotes a US law enforcement official.

American prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Mr. Smith, who is currently under investigation but on bail in Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mr. Smith faces fraud, money laundering and other charges in the British territory.

John Briggs, Deputy senior investigator of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Special Investigation and Prosecution Team, says it is alleged that Mr. Smith ran a Ponzi scheme involving US$300 million.

In a court filing earlier this month in Florida, prosecutors said Mr. Smith defrauded thousands of investors from Jamaica, the US and other Caribbean territories, promising them monthly average returns of 10%.

Mr. Smith is due to appear in a Turks and Caicos Islands court on September 28 to answer fraud charges.

Jamaican authorities shut down OLINT's offices four years ago, but Mr. Smith moved on to operate out of Turks and Caicos Islands.

The accountant and attorneys for dancehall deejay, Bounty Killa, will be seeking a meeting with the Tax Administration Services Department this week to clarify his tax debt.

Enforcement officials of the Tax Department swooped down on the entertainer's residence at the Oaklands Apartments on Friday and seized two high end motor vehicles, a Range Rover and a Land Cruiser Prado, owned by him.

The Tax Department reported that it seized the vehicles in its bid to recover $12 million in taxes owed by Bounti Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce.

However, the entertainer's attorney Linda Wright told RJR News that there is some dispute over the figure.

“They just say he owes $12 million ... we know we had filed (taxes) for the year 2000 but then he taken objection for the year 2001, 2003.

However, the document (that they) left when they seized the vehicle only indicated that he was owing $12 million … we don’t know if this is in penalty, fees and principal, we don’t know for what year,” she said.

“That has to be clarified and his accountant will be meeting with Tax Department tomorrow for some clarification as to what period they’re saying the taxes are owed for because he had paid but had objected to some of them,” Mrs. Wright added.

It seems there is no end in sight with this Manatt, Phelps and Phillips dramas.

The latest now is that the Prime Minister Bruce Golding seem to be accusing Phillips ‘selling out’.According to the PM Phillips signed pact with US without Cabinet approval.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding addresses yesterday’s Area Council One meeting of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the Papine High School in St Andrew. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Giving an outline of the discussion between Kingston and Washington on the extradition issue, Golding said: "When the request came in we said to the US Government the request is in contravention of the law. The US said to us, that law is not the only means by which we can get information and use it as evidence.

"We said to the US Government, what are you telling us, which agreement are you referring to? They showed us a document, signed by the minister of national security, in 2004 I believe it was.

At that point I called the commissioner of police and I said, do you know anything at all about this agreement that was signed? and he said I know nothing at all about it," Golding stated.

He said that if such an agreement existed it must have had Cabinet approval, which prompted him to call the Cabinet Office for information on the agreement.

"I directed them to go and search the secret submissions, because there are some submissions that come to Cabinet that are considered highly confidential and are classified... because a matter as serious as this could not have been done without the approval of the Cabinet," Golding continued.

"They searched the secret submissions; they can find no record of any such agreement.

After considerable search I got hold of a copy of the agreement, an agreement that was entered into, without as far as we can establish, the approval of the Cabinet, entered into by the former minister of national security," Golding said to loud shouts of "Peter Phillips a sell-out"

Lady Gaga is known for her skimpy outfits and sexually-charged performances, but she says she fears having sex with a partner could deplete her artistic energy.

"I have this weird thing that if I sleep with someone they're going to take my creativity through my vagina," the performer said in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was released on Monday.

Lady Gaga is not the only pop star to laud the value of abstinence, but she may be among the first to tout it as a boost to creativity. Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and American Idol-winner Jordin Sparks have all worn "promise rings" to symbolize a pledge of chastity until marriage.

Even Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, has become the face of an abstinence campaign after she became pregnant at the age of 16 and gave birth to a son.

Lady Gaga is on the cover of the September issue of Vanity Fair. A photo spread of the "Poker Face" singer clad in little other than a rhinestone choker, accompanies the interview. Gaga also speaks about drug use and family.

LAS VEGAS - Paris Hilton was arrested late Friday after a police motorcycle officer smelled marijuana smoke wafting from a black Cadillac Escalade driven by her boyfriend on the Las Vegas Strip, then found cocaine in her purse, authorities said.

A crowd quickly gathered when Hilton and Las Vegas nightclub mogul Cy Waits were stopped about 11:30 p.m. Friday in the vehicle near the Wynn Las Vegas resort, police said.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was taken into the hotel "to keep her safe" during the initial investigation, police Lt. Wayne Holman said.

Police Officer Marcus Martin said the motorcycle officer pulled the Escalade over on Las Vegas Boulevard after noticing smoke that smelled like marijuana. Police later found a substance in Hilton's purse that tests showed to be cocaine, Martin said. He didn't say how much of the drug was found. Hilton was arrested on suspicion of felony cocaine possession.

Waits, 34, was arrested on misdemeanor suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Both were booked into the Clark County jail, where Martin said Hilton was released without bail about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Less than an hour later, Hilton's Twitter account was updated with a posting that said the actress was in bed watching the television show "Family Guy," and then that she was going to sleep.

It was unclear if the tweets came from her, were posted by time-release or were sent by someone else.

If convicted of the low-grade felony, Hilton would get probation. Any violation of probation would be punishable by one to four years in Nevada state prison.

Hilton's manager did not immediately respond early Saturday to telephone calls for comment. Hilton's publicist, Dawn Miller, did not immediately return an e-mail message.

A spokeswoman for Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Waits and his twin brother, Jesse, are managing partners of the Tryst Nightclub inside Wynn Las Vegas, Drai's after hours club at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, and XS The Nightclub at Wynn's Encore resort.

A spokeswoman for Harrah's resorts declined immediate comment.
Earlier this week, Hilton was in the news when a 31-year-old man allegedly tried to break into her Los Angeles home.

While most famous for her tabloid exploits and reality TV series "The Simple Life," Hilton has appeared in the films "Bottoms Up," "The Hottie & the Nottie" and "House of Wax."

The community of Clay Ground in Bamboo, St Ann is mourning the passing of 17-year-old Moya Brown and her six-year-old twin sisters Taneisha and Teneisha Calder who all died in a fire at their home on Saturday night.

Another sister, 10-years-old Jodean Griffiths, escaped the blaze and has been admitted to the St Ann’s Bay hospital.

Reports are that Moya was preparing a meal on the gas stove and then left to put her sister to bed.

They all fell asleep and apparently a kitchen towel left near to the stove caught fire, which quickly spread to the curtains and subsequently engulfed the wooden structure.

Residents say there was absolutely nothing they could do, as by the time the 10-year-old alerted them and they ran to the house, the fire was raging and they couldn’t get near. The fire brigade was summoned, but they too had dicfficulties accessing the house and had to end up asking neighbours for water for the cooling down process. Damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

According to media reports, Angella Newman, the mother of the girls was on her way home from St Ann’s Bay when she got the call that three of her daughters had died in a fire at home. She, too, had to be hospitalized.

I give freely, not only of my financial resources, but also of my time, energy and love. I share from my willingness and eagerness to bless others.

Whether I recycle gently-used household items, spend time tutoring a child, or volunteer to assist someone in need, I am giving from my heart. I receive the blessings of joy, satisfaction and gratitude as soon as I give to another.

As I give and receive, I realize that material possessions do not define prosperity.

Prosperity is a mind-set, a consciousness, a knowing that everything we need is already supplied. My giving opens the way for God's blessings to circulate. I give from the knowledge that I live in an abundant universe.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.--2 Corinthians 9:6

Life seems to throw us curve balls every once in awhile. I may face unexpected challenges for which I feel unprepared. In these moments, I turn to God.

The grace of God is available to me whenever and wherever I need it. This powerful gift of divine support calms me, comforts me and lifts my spirits.

God gives me the strength and courage to face and prevail through life's changes and challenges. As I pray, grace fills the empty spaces in my heart or in my life. I am one with the Creator--supported by infinite love.

Guided by the still small voice within, I choose to live an empowered life. With clarity, creativity, vigor and flexibility, I gracefully move through life's experiences.

A judge in Maryland has ruled on Tuesday that Ne-Yo and his booking agent must pay in excess of $156,000 in damages to a promoter after Ne-Yo failed to show up at a show in Washington state on New Years Eve, 2008.

Ne-Yo and Mike Esterman were sued by promoter Kenyohn Clark who claimed that Esterman failed to return a $95,000 deposit.

Ne-Yo testified at the trial and says he knew that the deposit should have been returned.

Double sprint world record holder Usain Bolt says American Tyson Gay will not break the men's 100 metre world record this year and would need the push from himself or Asafa Powell to even come close to that time.

On Wednesday, Gay the second fastest man ever over 100 metres, said he did not need Bolt or Powell to break his personal best of 9.69 seconds at Friday’s 14th and final Diamond League Meet in Brussels, Belgium.

However, Bolt says Gay will need the extra push to break his 9.58 seconds world record set at the Berlin, Germany World Athletic Championships last year.

“Tyson is a great fighter, he works hard and he has done extremely well but I don’t think he’ll get a world record this year.

I think he needs that extra push to break the record because 9.58 seconds is not easy to get and I had to push in that race with Gay and Powell to set that record,” Bolt said.

“I think he will need that extra push … you can’t push yourself to the limit that you want to.

But I think he’s a great athlete, I wish him all the best and if he breaks it, it’s whatever, because my main aim is the world championship (in 2011),” he added.

Even though Gay will not have a Bolt or Powell to contend with on Friday, he will still have a few Jamaicans to face including upcoming sprint sensation Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and world junior champion Dexter Lee.

Four other Jamaicans are down to compete; Allodin Fothergill will line up in the men's 400 metres while Korene Hinds and Madrea Hyman will contest the women's 3,000 metre steeplechase.

National record holder Dorian Scott will line up in the men's shott putt.

Members of the gay and lesbian community are again making their voices heard when it comes to reggae artistes with anti-gay messages.

The latest Jamaican act to face the verbal outbursts is reggae artiste Sizzla Kalonji who is his European tour.

The 34-year old artiste, whose give name is Miguel Collins, was scheduled to perform at this years Chiemsee Reggae Summer in Germany which the artiste recently found out was cancelled.

It was understood that there was heavy pressure for several weeks from gay groups and politicians.

The decision to cancel the tour was because of safety reasons as they could not guarantee the safety for festival-goers, as a huge amount of protestors planned to attend the festival during Sizzla's performance.

However, Sizzla's fans may see him on stage very soon, as he is scheduled to perform in Europe in September and Japan in October.

Great party vibes, walk-out and never get tired, girls' anthem and independent woman are all saucily packaged in Party Til December, the lead-off single from Lady Saw's soon-to-be-released album, My Way, on her new label, Divas Records/Toasting Music/Universal.

Armed with a rollicking, uptempo riddim, Lady Saw, steps to it as only she can and with one press of a button fires off lyrics which are she says are sure to have all the single ladies — and some of those 'in a relationship' — making that quantum leap from the boredom of a bedroom to the dazzle of a dance floor.

And, as infectious as the riddim is, Party Til December is one of those songs that make the listener also want to hear the lyrics.

According to Saw, who wears her producer hat on this track from the album, due in stores September 7, Party Till December was one of the first songs she did for the album and while working on the project it was her favourite, until it was replaced by others.

Saw surmised that the single's crossover potential could have played a role in the decision-making process. Party Till December is quite a club banger and is also a true girls' anthem, the type which has been gaining popularity with fans internationally.

The album, My Way, also has productions from Tony 'CD' Kelly, Lloyd 'John John' James, Danny Browne and Stephen McGregor. Among the other tracks are Every Way Mi Go, Your Chick, He Is At My House (Featuring Eve), My Way, Me Hold Yuh, Muscle Control (with Camar) and I Can't Wait (Featuring Ding Dong).

Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier Leslie Moodie, who was convicted on June 28 of the murders of Ejon Peart, 20; Davian Kerr, 19; Lynchmore Forbes, 24; and William Wilberforce, 28, has been sentenced to hanging.

The four were killed at the Diamond Lounge Gaming Club at Washington Boulevard in St Andrew.
If the thirty-three-year-old Moodie -- who was a corporal attached to the Coast Guard of the JDF -- goes to the gallows, this will be the first hanging in Jamaica in 22 years.

Despite a plea for life imprisonment by Moodie’s lawyers, the judge, Justice Horace Marsh stated that the murders were “extreme” and that Moodie had shown no remorse.

Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Lisa Palmer Hamilton and Crown Counsel Paula Archer Hall called for the death penalty.

They argued that the crime was premeditated and heinous. They asked the judge to send a message that when a member of the security forces commits such a cold, calculated and callous act, his action should be met with the most serious punishment.

Forty year old Rodney Joseph, from Top Hill in St Elizabeth who was accused of physically and sexually abusing his 80-year-old mother was shot and killed at his home by the police.

Reports are that Josephs was known to have repeatedly forced himself on his octogenarian mother and had been wanted by the police.

Early Thursday morning, the cops went to the house in search of Joseph. Police reports are that the lawmen informed Joseph that he needed to accompany them to the station, but the man, the police say, threatened them.

The cops further report that Joseph rushed from inside the house wielding a knife and attempted to stab one of the officers, who had to quickly move out of the way. One of the policemen allegedly fired three shots at Joseph, after which the injured man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The St Catherine North Police say they could wrap up their interviews today with the mothers and girlfriends of alleged gangsters in the division.

On Monday, the police appealed to 20 of the women to turn in themselves for questioning.

Fourteen of them did so, and have since been facing intense questioning as the St Catherine North police move to deal with the problem of crime in the division.

The women were sent home last night and the commanding officer for the St Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Assan Thompson, said about seven of them are to return today to be further questioned.

The Organised Crime Investigation Division, the Financial Crimes Unit and detectives from other police divisions are carrying out questioning.

At the time, everyone in Pittsburgh's Stanley Theatre knew they were witnesses to history.

Bob Marley stood tall and proud onstage and beckoned them to Get Up, Stand Up, and they responded loudly with wo yo yo yo.

Later they discovered the history they witnessed was, in fact, Marley's last performance.

Live Forever encapsulates the pure energy of that fateful performance by Jamaica's most legendary son.

The original live recording, captured on tape by Marley's engineer Dennis Thompson, has been lovingly preserved and remastered for the 30th anniversary album release exclusively in the Caribbean.

Adding to the distinctiveness of the collection-worthy album is the special eco-friendly packaging.

Bob had ascended to the pinnacle of his career when he took to the stage in Pittsburgh; he had just completed a successful European Uprising tour and had played on sold-out bills in New York's Madison Square Garden. Simply put, he had arrived.

Everything about the concert was a reflection of Marley - the superior production, the masterful collection of musicians and the eclectic range of songs, emphasising the complexity of the man turned superstar.

The album also includes live renditions of: Uprising, Coming In From The Cold, Work, Zion Train, Redemption Song and Could You Be Loved. The entire concert, from his opening song to the final applause, spans the special double CD album.

Live Forever becomes available through Tuff Gong Distribution on September 23.

The Ministry of Health(MOH) has issued a warning that dengue fever type 2 is currently in circulation in Jamaica. With the volume of cases increasing islandwide, persons with symptoms are advised to visit their nearest health centre.

There are four types of the illness – 1, 2 3 and 4 – all of which present with the same symptoms. Persons can however develop immunity for each type of dengue contracted.

This means that individuals can get dengue fever up to four times.

“Symptoms of dengue fever include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pains, joint or bone pains, skin rash and nausea. Persons may also get the severe form, dengue haemorrhagic fever and this can lead to death.

Those most susceptible to having dengue haemorrhagic fever are persons who have contracted dengue fever at least once before,” said Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry continues to appeal to persons to follow the guidelines to eliminate the breeding sites for mosquitoes. Look for anything in which water can settle and either cover it, keep the area dry, clean it regularly, fill it with soil or sand, punch holes into it or recycle or dispose of it.

As much as possible, persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors.

Individuals who wish to obtain more information on dengue may call the Ministry’s Emergency Operations Centre at 1888-663-5683 (1888 ONE LOVE).

Another promise of another confession has come from the ruling Jamaica Labour Party on the vexing Manatt Phelps and Phillips issue.

Following widespread criticism and condemnation from interest groups and civil society since the Sunday Gleaner’s email expose, the Bruce Golding administration says it will come clean and answer all questions in the coming days.

The church has so far met with the prime minister and a response to six questions from private sector leaders is being prepared.

At the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, Information Minister, Daryl Vaz stated, "I read the papers yesterday (Tuesday) and I saw several different groupings, including groupings in the countryside, who still feel that there is more to the Manatt issue, and I feel it is going to be important that we separate the politics from the actual concerns and try and address it because it is a deep concern which relates to the issue of governance.”

According to Vaz, "The Government, through the prime minister, has already indicated very loudly and very clearly that this matter, from the start, was a mistake for which we take full responsibility.

"Coupled with that, there was misrepresentation as it relates to the Government ... which has made a bad situation worse," Vaz added, while noting that there would be nothing criminal or illegal if the Government had engaged Manatt.

The Government says its position that it never engaged the US law firm has not changed despite the emails revealed on Sunday.

Throughout each day, I have the opportunity to make many choices. From the friends I choose to the thoughts I think--everything is a choice, a manifestation of the unlimited possibilities before me.

As I prepare for an activity, I turn to God in prayer and give thanks for guidance and inspiration in making choices. I call on the inner resources at the core of my being to respond to any situation.

Although in any given moment it might appear that my choices are limited, I know this is an illusion created by my narrow human view. With spiritual eyes, I see infinite possibilities, and I make each choice with confidence and peace.

For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.--Proverbs 3:26

United States Ambassador-designate to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater has given the assurance that when she assumes her post as Ambassador, she will take steps to address the declining approval rate of visa issuance to Jamaican nationals.

Ambassador Bridgewater gave this undertaking to Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks, who raised the concern while in discussions during a courtesy call on Ambassador Marks at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday, August 24.

The Ambassador-designate said, "I will meet with the Consular team at the US Embassy in Jamaica along with my Consular team very early after my arrival to see how this issue can be addressed to the satisfaction of both countries."

Ambassador Marks highlighted the declining approval rates for the issuance of visas to Jamaican nationals as an area which needed continued review. She mentioned that Trinidad and Tobago for example enjoyed a visitor's visa approval rate nearly three times as high as Jamaica's.

She indicated that she had had discussions with relevant officials in the Department of State, where she had raised the worrying trend of the declining approvals.

It was explained that the US looks at a variety of factors, including the economy of the sending country as well as the state of the US economy. However, Ambassador Marks said she had been promised a review for Jamaica.

In this context, Ambassador Marks pointed to the positive economic indicators in Jamaica, which showed that economic fundamentals were going in the right direction.

She requested Ambassador Bridgewater's support of continuous reviews to increase the approval ratio. In responding, the Ambassador-designate stated that she believed that the positive economic developments in Jamaica will augur well for a review of the visa regime.

Ambassador Bridgewater who will take up her post in Jamaica shortly was accompanied by Desk Officer in the Department of State, Mr. Robert Piehel. Also present was Minister-Counsellor in the Jamaican Embassy, Mr. Franz Hall.

Tuesday Timbaland was the focus of a Malibu manhunt amid concerns he might be suicidal. Today, the uber producer is talking about the whole mix-up.

“It ain’t nothin to worry about,” he said during an interview this morning with Ryan Seacrest.

According to family members, the 39-year-old hip-hop superstar disappeared following the theft of a $2 million Jacob & Co. watch from his home.

His wife and mother-in-law called in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said he had left his Malibu home “upset, under a lot of stress” and they feared a “possible suicide attempt.” An APB was issued before 5 p.m., and a helicopter and squad cars were mobilized.

Sheriff’s deputies soon found him driving near the Pacific Coast Highway.

But Timbaland says everyone way overreacted. The beatmaster himself called in to Ryan’s radio show this morning to clear up any suicide rumors, saying that the whole incident was blown out of proportion, and that this isn’t the first time people have stolen from him.

“I don’t know what happened to be honest with you, I don’t know what people are talking about,” he said. “People steal from me all the time. Stuff did happen, it wasn’t a watch it was something else.”

What he was upset about was that the item had been in his house and he knew someone he trusted had taken it. He then took a drive to clear his head.

“It’s people that are close to you, you know,” he explained. “So only thing I did was take a drive to see how my head is.”

When he didn’t respond to frantic calls from friends, they assumed the worst.

“They probably thought because I won’t talk to them, I guess people got worried. If my mom ain’t callin’ or my brother or my best friend, ain’t nothing to worry about. The officer pulled me over, he just had to do procedures. I snapped, ‘Who the heck reported something like that? No, why would I commit suicide?’ ”

Timbaland was calling from the studio, where he is currently putting the final touches on Keri Hilson’s new album.

“I’m in the studio,” he said. “I don’t know if a person committing suicide would be in the studio

More political pressure is mounting on Attorney at Law, Harold Brady, for the role he played in the messy dealings, with Washington-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz declared on Wednesday morning, that the Corporate Area lawyer, who he pegs as the power-broker behind the Manatt extradition matt, will be referred to the governing party's disciplinary committee, for sanction.

Stung by public outcry over the government's handling of the controversy surrounding the Manatt dealings, Information Minister Daryl Vaz pulled no punches on Wednesday morning.

Speaking at the Post Cabinet press briefing Vaz declared that the evidence was clear that it was Harold Brady who misrepresented the government of Jamaica in the behind the scenes negotiations with Manatt Phelps and Phillips.

The Information Minister says Mr. Brady will be referred to the JLP's Disciplinary Committee but did not say if a formal complaint will be made to the General Legal Council for misconduct.

Vaz says the Golding government has acknowledged that the handling of the affair was flawed from the outset and that the Prime Minister has been open to full dialogue with civil society groups on the matter.

He maintains that the Prime Minister was not complicit in the Manatt dealings.

“The Government, through the Prime Minister, has already indicated very loudly and very clearly that this matter from the start was a mistake for which we take full responsibility. Coupled with that there was misrepresentation as it relates to the Government and who was working on behalf of the Government which has made a bad situation worse,”

”That matter has been discussed and I would expect that that matter would have been referred to the disciplinary committee. I don’t have a recent update on it but I know that it has been raised on several occasions on the party level,” Vaz said.

You would think that life is hard nuh hell, without taking up your money and giving it away just like that.

The latest is a story that was carried in the Star warning people to be careful of con men posing as furniture worker and relating a story where one woman fell victim to them.

Come on now, you meet someone at a bus stop claiming that he works at a furniture store and he can give you a great backdoor deal and you take your money and give him. We don’t care what kind of ID he is showing, the odds of him being legit is like 99 to 1.

Cheapness can cost you in the long run. How about shopping around for the best deal? And in any case, he would be stealing to get you that cheap furniture, so you are one of those fostering theft.

We are tired of hearing of the stupid cons that sensible adults are falling for.
Three Miles area of all the places where you find pick pockets, con artists and you only know what, hanging out there.

The daggering thing doan good, cause sometimes it might just cost you your life. According to a report in the paper an eighteen year old lost his life as a result of the wrong alliance.

Seems that he ‘daggered’ his enemy’s woman and ended up being stabbed to death.

Allegations are that he was stabbed and killed while at a river party on Sunday, supposedly over an argument about a girl with whom one of the men was dancing.

The teenager was reportedly stabbed then pronounced dead at the Port Antonio hospital following an altercation with another man while they were patrons at a dance at Rivers View, Rio Grande Valley, in the parish early Sunday morning.

Police sources from the division reported that they have heard the two men were at odds for a while and have had previous run-ins with each other.

Their paths crossed again while at the party and are said to have become involved in a heated argument, after one of the men was seen 'daggering' a female said to be a close friend of the other.

"Investigations are ongoing but nothing is confirmed just yet.

But based on what we have heard so far the two men had been at odds for a while now and things boiled over while they were at the party," a detective corporal from the parish said when contacted yesterday.

"We heard that one saw the other dancing with a woman said to be close to the other and that started the argument. This is one of the arguments we will be looking into."

A 20-year-old who was taken into custody was not charged up to press time last night.

What di hell that we reading in the Star. See it there now, things getting outa control just through we have these rights people breathing dung unno necks. Check out this story and tell us where the cousin rights were in all of this.

According to the Star story the Manchester police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident involving a man who was allegedly buggered by his cousin.
Information gathered through the Constabulary Communication Network and police sources from the parish suggest that the incident occurred on August 8, in the Somerset community of the parish.
Investigators were reluctant in giving out the details of the incident, but say the complainant who is in his early 20s reported that he was taken into bushes against his will and buggered by his cousin.
A report was made to the Mandeville CIB.
"We can confirm that such a report was made but it is a very sensitive issue and we are investigating," a corporal from the Mandeville CIB told the paper.
Meanwhile, word of the incident has reached the other sections of the parish and is being hotly discussed.

Marcus also posted a Ustream video, and Jeff a Twitter video (watch below), from the Liquid Pool Lounge featuring all three basketball players. Jeff posted an additional video filmed inside Haze Nightclub, but he was the only Knight who could be identified in the short clip.

Jeff, who relayed via Twitter that his dad’s basketball camp cost between $13,500 and $15,000 per person, tweeted Sunday that he and Rompza were back in Orlando and ready for classes that began at UCF this week.

Rompza also wrote on his Twitter account Sunday night: “Starting the semester off good tomorrow. Workouts early cant wait. Its time to put UCF on the map for basketball! I want it.”

Celebrity websites TerezOwens.com and TaintedVegas.com posted updates about the Jordan brothers spending $56,000 in Las Vegas in one day. TerezOwens.com said Michael Jordan “caught wind of his son’s extravagant behavior” and the tweet disappeared soon after.

Keith Murray was filmed just outside BB Kings in New York City talking smack and he was visibly intoxicated in the video footage.

Keith Murray says that he "squared off with Tupac at the House of Blues in California" and urged anyone who was "there that night" to "add on" or comment "on Twitter."

Keith Murray then went on to discuss incidents involving the Notorious B.I.G. and Dame Dash. An animated Keith Murray said that he and 50 Grand smashed Dame Dash over the head with a bottle in the club, "word to my mother...my dead mother Black Rose," Murray added. Check out the video footage below.

Track and field super star Jamaica’s Usain Bolt has renewed his sponsorship deal with German apparel company, Puma, trough to 2013.

Under the new contract, the fattest signed in history of track and filed, ties Bolt to Puma through the 2011 World Athletic Championships in Daegu, South Korea and the London Olympics in 2012, where he will defend his 100 and 200 metre titles.

Although not releasing the terms of the contract Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Puma, says Bolt will be the best paid athlete in the history of track and field.

“In this context, we recognise the tremendous performances, victories and times that he’s run over the last couple of years.

He’s one of the few global icons in sports, who can really connect with the consumers and with his fans, and that’s what makes him so unique … he’s not just an amazing athlete, he’s also an amazing personality and from that perspective, the value is significant,” Zeitz said.

Central figure in their Olympic marketing programme

Bolt, who turned 24 on Saturday, says he was very happy with the figure.

He first signed with Puma, which also sponsors the Jamaican Olympic Association and the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association, in 2003 when he was 16 years old.

Norman Peart, Bolt’s Manager, is very pleased with the deal.

“We’re very happy with the new contract that we’ve signed with Puma,” he said.

Puma says it intends making the world’s fastest man the central figure in their Olympic marketing programme and plan to use him to help develop footwear and other apparel.

Zebra lick him head or something? We doan know cause if what we reading in the Star even remotely guh suh, him is one ediot artiste or him must be braver dan anybody else inna Jamaica.

According to the story he was relocated from the Spanish Town lock-up recently after it is alleged that he threw urine on a policeman.

Vassell, who is facing a rape charge in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court, was reported to have done the act early last week.

Allegations are that the incident occurred after Zebra started to defy the rules of officers on duty at the jail. He is reported to have confronted an officer and then the liquid was thrown on him. The police is reported to have then subdued the accused.

In the meanwhile, the preliminary inquiry in the deejay's rape case starts today in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court and will continue tomorrow.

Yesterday, Vassell told the court that he was on doctor's treatment as a result of being beaten when the incident took place at the lock- up.

All we can say is dat him lucky dem neva beat him out a di rest a him senses.

Yardflex was in the house at Stars R Us held at Mas Camp on Saturday and we have to say big up to artistes like Ken Boothe, George Nooks, Errol Dunkley, Derrick Harriot, Karen Smith and the rest of crew who really represented.

Our major issue was with the veteran group Mighty Diamonds. You would think that after almost 40 years in the biz they would know how to read a crowd by this, right?

Think again, the group go on stage and lame out the thing, by the time dem drag out the singing of Manhattan’s There No Me Without You fi show people sey dem all can sing, di crowd was just ready to boo them off.

Then them go ask the crowd if dem want more and you could hear the no dem way a Half Way Tree, and dem claim dem a hear, yes and no.

Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore has a reputation of being one of the hardest venues in Jamaica to fill. Just ask Supreme Promotions’ Isaiah Laing, promoter of Sting, he should know.

However, last Saturday and Sunday, a bumper crowd of parents and ‘pickney’ descended on the complex, the likes of which Jamworld has never seen.

It was telecoms company LIME back-to-school fair, wittily entitled, Skool Aid. And, just like the popular drink, Kool Aid, the fair was full of flavour and oh so refreshing.

Well advertised throughout the Portmore community – and with the magic word ‘FREE’ attached – Skool Aid proved an instant hit for all involved. It was one of those events that had one wondering why it took so long to happen.

LIME provided a balanced mixture of entertainment and sobriety by transforming Jamworld into an amusement park chockful of all the rides a kid could enjoy while focusing squarely on the realities of back-to-school.

The Ministry of Healt was on spot to provide kids with immunizations; Upper Cut Barbers must be commended for responding to the call and giving free hair cuts for boys under 14 and book stores such as Sangsters, along with Carlong and Pearsons Publishers turned out with discounted supplies for purchase;

With Jamworld almost bursting it at the seams with excited kids who get hungry quickly, food concessionaires licked their fingers and the winding lines told their own story.

But for many – both parents and children – it was the reports of free backpacks from LIME which was one of the main attractions.

On Saturday, many made mental notes to be present on Sunday as they witnessed the exodus of kids from Jamworld walking proudly with their LIME bags on their backs, ready for school. SO it was not surprising that Sunday’s event was even bigger and better.

All the kinks of day one were ironed out and the organizers were better prepared to handle the throngs of persons which streamed endlessly into Jamworld throughout the day and into the night.

Kudos to LIME for a wonderful effort, and in particular for considering the needs of the 300 kids from Tivoli who were carried by bus to Jamworld and given cherished moments to remember.

After Billboard announced her return to the charts with the leaked single, “Repercussions,” word spread over the weekend that L Boogie left the crowd wanting more at a Rock the Bells concert in San Bernardino, California, on August 21.

Hill reportedly did her thing, performing hits like “Fu-Gee-La,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “To Zion” and “Ready or Not" at the concert, which also featured other venerated hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg, Slick Rick, Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan.

“When she started to perform ‘Fugee La’ and ‘Ready or Not’ from ‘The Score’, her multiplatinum album with the Fugees, the place erupted,” reports MTV’s Sway, who said that Hill’s performance was the day’s defining moment.

The L.A. Times agrees, saying that Hill “dispelled any doubts of her abilities.”

While the Times notes that Hill was “occasionally chaotic and harried, her voice and skills remained peerless and again revealed that her lack of prolificacy doesn’t stem from an absence of talent.”

MTV’s Shaheem Reid also sang Hill's praises, saying the artist “was undoubtedly the must-see event of the night… This was not a woman who some reports had labeled ‘crazy.’ Lauryn was lucid and dancing and appeared to be enjoying herself.”

Here she comes again – country singer Dolly Parton is returning to the big screen in a new movie musical with Queen Latifah.

In the upcoming "Joyful Noise," the pair star as two women hoping to stop a small-town gospel choir from shutting down.

Forty-year-old Latifah, who earned an Oscar nomination for "Chicago," will play a mother of two who heads up the Pacashau Gospel Choir following the choir director's death, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Parton, 64, plays the choir director's widow, who also wants her late husband's job.

The music legend, who appeared in hit '80s films like "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias," hasn't made a major motion picture since the 1992 comedy "Straight Talk."

In July, she hinted to Entertainment Weekly that she had a project in the pipeline, saying, "I might even possibly do a movie soon...

I don't want to say what it is yet, but I've got a real good offer, and if it comes through, I'll probably start a movie in October to have a movie out next year."

Empress Mennen organization is calling all Jamaican families that have been affected by violence to come out on Sunday 29 August to Emancipation Park and support this day which is designed to get some answers to their burning issues.

“This is the way how see it fitting to help to find ways to answer some of the questions asked.

Please make a date and make it a unified movement asking for justice for our families,” Sister Minnie, a representative from the organization stated.

According to the itinerary, social Issues will be discussed from : 11 a.m. til 3 p.m. while Law and Order takes centrestage from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Roger Clarke, who served as Minister of Agriculture during the PNP regime, could be charged for manslaughter following a motor vehicle accident that claimed the life of a 23-year-old man in Old Harbour on Monday afternoon.

The man, Deron Nicholson, was killed when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle being driven by Clarke.

Clarke who was questioned by the Old Harbour police and also given a breathalyser test, has been released with no formal charges pressed against him.

Following further investigations into the matter, the former agriculture minister will be contacted and informed whether or not he is to be charged.

Reports have surfaced that double Olympic and World Championship gold medalist and world record holder Usain Bolt has written to the government of Jamaica asking that the decision to rename a section of Highway 2000 in his honour be reconsidered.

Bolt, the youngest recipient of the nation's fourth highest honour, the Order of Jamaica, sent a letter to the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports “outlining the reasons behind the decision and also stating that the party remains open to discussions regarding the matter”, according to media reports.

Sports Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange is currently off the island and no official word has so far been forthcoming from that ministry.

Bolt became a worldwide superstar at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning both the 100 and 200 in world-record times and helping Jamaica win another gold and set another world record in the 4x100 relay. A year later, he again set world records in the 100 and 200 at the World Championships in Berlin.

Although he is sitting out the rest of this season with tightness in his lower back, Bolt is already looking forward to returning to the track next year for the World Champion-ships and eventually the 2012 Olympics.

"I'm trying to make myself a legend," Bolt said. "People are really looking forward to me breaking records (but) I'm going to go run hard to win, that's my aim. And every time I go out there and run hard to win, I get records.

Divine order is established in me and the activities of my life.
Much of the stress in daily life comes from thinking there is not enough time to do all that we want to do, or feel we should do. But actually, time is not the issue. Accessing divine wisdom to use time wisely is what's needed.

I let go of the idea that my time and energy are too much in demand. I accept my God-given power and ability to accomplish. I accept God's wisdom to discern what is meaningful from what is superficial. I courageously let go of that which serves no higher purpose.

Divine order is established in my thinking, my life and my activities. I give thanks that God is working in and through me. God gives me the ability, energy and wisdom I need to do what is mine to do.

AT 4:00 am the centre of Hurricane Danielle was located near latitude 15.9 degrees north and longitude 44.6 degrees west or about 1790 kilometres east of Lesser Antilles.

Danielle is moving toward the west near 32 km/h. A turn toward the west northwest and then northwest is expected by early tomorrow.

Maximum sustained winds are near 160 km/h with higher gusts. Danielle is a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Additional strengthening is forecast and Danielle could become a major hurricane by early tomorrow.

Fantasia says she knew exactly what she was doing when she overdosed earlier this month…she was trying to kill herself.

In an interview with VH1, 26-year-old Fantasia claims she was so depressed about all of the drama surrounding her relationship with a married man … that, “I didn’t have any fight in me. I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted out.”

Fantasia added, “At that moment, I wanted out. I wanted it to be over with – all of it, all of that [expletive].”

She went on, “I just sat in the closet and looked at the mirror and took all the pills in the bottle. I wanted to go to sleep and just be at peace. I knew exactly what I was doing. You can’t accidentally take a whole bottle of pills.”

“I was tired of people doing me wrong, constantly, over and over again, dealing with my family – my father, dealing with men and their shit – I was tired,” she says of the incident. “My head was hurting me. I was over it.”

Fantasia’s Behind the Music interview, airs 9 p.m. ET/PT tomorow, the same day her new album, Back to Me, is released.

DJ Marc Mysterio has filed a lawsuit against R&B star, Brandy for allegedly not fulfilling an agreement for music. According to the suit, Mysterio paid the singer $10,000 a month to write and record a song for him, but nothing ever prevailed.

Supposedly the DJ lost more than $25,000 because of Brandy’s lack of follow through.

Professionally, besides being a singer, Brandy has also starred in several big screen projects. Some movies she has starred include “Cinderella”, “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Osmosis Jones”. As for small screen projects, she has starred in “Moesha”, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”, “American Dreams”, “One on One” and “This Little Piggy”

After nine months of turmoil over his extramarital affairs, now begins the next chapter in the life and times of Tiger Woods. In a hearing that lasted no more than 10 minutes in a Florida judge's chambers, Woods and his Swedish-born wife officially divorced Monday.
"We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future," Woods and Elin Nordegren said in a joint statement released by their lawyers.
The divorce was granted shortly after 2 p.m. in Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla., about 375 miles from their Isleworth home outside Orlando, where Woods drove his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree on Thanksgiving night. That set off shocking revelations that sports' biggest star had been cheating on his wife through multiple affairs.
He and Nordegren were married Oct. 5, 2004, in Barbados and have a 3-year-old daughter, Sam, and an 18-month-old son, Charlie.
Terms of the divorce — such as how much it will cost Woods — were not disclosed. They said only that they will "share parenting" of their two children.
Nordegren's attorneys — including her twin sister, London-based Josefin Lonnborg — referred all questions to the statement.
Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, declined to comment when asked if the couple had a prenuptial agreement or terms of the settlement. "We're not commenting beyond what was in the release," he said.
Nordegren, who once worked as a nanny for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, asked to have her maiden name restored as Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren.
The sordid sex scandal cost Woods three major corporate sponsors — Accenture, AT&T and Gatorade — worth millions of dollars, and he lost his stature the gold standard in sports endorsements. A month after the scandal became public, Woods spent two months in therapy at a Mississippi clinic with hopes of saving his marriage.
Woods is to play this week at The Barclays, his first tournament as a single man in nearly six years. He needs a good performance just to get out of the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs, which he won the previous two times he played, and he also is trying to show he is worth picking for the Ryder Cup, where wives take on a visible role.
Since returning to golf at the Masters, Woods has not come close to winning a tournament. He tied for fourth in the Masters and in the U.S. Open, both times taking himself out of contention early in the final round.
Woods has won 82 times worldwide — 36 times and six majors while married — in his professional career. His last victory came at the Australian Masters on Nov. 15, his last trip before his serial infidelity was uncovered.

After languishing in jail for close to two years while being repeatedly denied bail, dancehall deejay Ninjaman may soon touch road. And just in time for the big showdown, Sting 2010.
The lawyer representing the deejay has finally filed an application seeking leave to go to the judicial review court to quash a judge’s decision to refuse bail for Ninjaman, who is on a murder charge..
An affidavit filed by lawyer Hannah Harris-Barrington Montague says Ninja is involved in community activities and is in process of building a classroom at the Jacks River Primary School in St. Mary.
Reports are that a character witness Donald Clementson says he overheard the witness in the case saying she was seeking revenge as her brother was killed over a peace initiative in which Ninja Man was involved.
Ninja Man alongside his two co-accused, his son Janile and Clayton Dennis, are to be tried for the murder of 20-year-old Ricardo 'Ricky Trooper' Johnson.

The senseless killings continue. Yesterday morning, gunmen shot dead an eight-year-old at her home in Kingston.
She has been identified as Jodian Bignal, a student of the Seaward Primary and Junior High School.
The Olympic Gardens Police report that about 2:40 am, Jodian was at her Mahogony Road home when four men armed with guns broke open a window to the house and opened fire hitting her.
She was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where she was treated and later transferred to the Bustamante Hospital for Children where she died.
The Hunts Bay police are investigating.

Congrats to Yendi Phillippswho placed second in the Miss Universe finals last night. Yendi was a favourite all the way through and gained the second highest marks in the swimsuit and the evening wear sections.
The competition was won by 22-year-old Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete
The 24-year-old Phillipps advanced from a field of 83 contestants.
In third place is 19-year-old Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell, fourth place: 23-year-old Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska, and fifth place: 22-year-old Miss Philippines Venus Raj, 22.

Former member of Xscape and HelloBeautiful.com blogger, Kandi Buruss has recently candidly spoken about the groups breakup, as well as her past sexual relationship with producer Jermaine Dupri.

She says the reason Xscape broke up was because one of the other members wanted to go solo after the second album. Then Kandi admits to having crossed the line with Jermaine Dupri, and addresses the group member who put her on blast during a radio interview.

She then addresses crossing the line with Jermaine Dupri:

“But just like anybody, sometimes you can work with people and you be like, hmm I wonder how he is in the bedroom, you know, and you just try it out… we hung out, we was friends, like playing pool, talking trash and then you know you hear somebody say yeah I’m a beast, I’m this, I’m that, you know how you can be around your friends talking about sex or whatever and then you be thinking like, I wonder is it that good, you know? Let’s be realistic, it wasn’t me trying to get anything out of the situation. We already had hit records.

We already had hits. It wasn’t like I was trying to do it to get somewhere. It was just out of curiosity.”

Digicel Jamaica says their recently launched 4G WiMax services will be 10 times faster that the competition, which delivers 3G technology.

The network, built by ZTE Corporation at a cost of J$2 billion, is the first WiMax network in Jamaica. It now covers 60 per cent of the population, or 100 per cent of the urbanised areas, with plans to roll out additional sites, based on consumer demand.

On signing up, the prepaid customer will pay a one-off cost of J$3,950, plus GCT, and will have the choice of a seven- 14- or 30-day pricing plan, at a cost of $1,200, J$2,000 and J$3,000, respectively.

Postpaid users will pay a J$2500 deposit on a 30-day package. The deposit is non-refundable for a year.

Bundled packages are also available - laptop and modem - at a cost of $54,850 plus GCT for postpaid, and $58,950 plus GCT for prepaid.

Customers will use the same top-up cards that are used for mobile phones for adding broadband, but the USB modem, or dongle - for those on the go - is not yet on offer.

It seems as if the Mannat Phelps and Phillips drama is not going to die down anytime soon. Another report was published in the Sunday Gleaner and this could be a whopper.

New revelations unearthed from email correspondence that the Bruce Golding administration did in fact engage the US law firm.

Using the Access to Information Act, The Sunday Gleaner acquired copies of the emails which span a seven-month period from September 2009 to March 2010.

The correspondence involving Solicitor General Douglas Leys, local attorney Harold Brady and officials of the US law firm confirms that Manatt, Phelps and Phillips was working on behalf of the Government, even if it had been engaged by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Grammy-winning singer Faith Evans has been arrested after being stopped at a drunken driving checkpoint in the Los Angeles area.

Officer Cleon Joseph of the LAPD says the 37-year-old Evans was arrested Saturday night near Marina del Rey on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving. He says Evans was held for a few hours and released on bail Sunday morning. Her car was impounded.

The R&B singer is the widow of rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. She won a Grammy in 1998 for the song "I'll Be Missing You."

A reality series chronicling Evans' life is reportedly in production, and a new album is scheduled for release in October.
A message left with Evans' agent Sunday was not immediately returned. (Source: AP)

Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean said Sunday he is not abandoning his presidential bid just yet and will try to get the courts to overturn a decision disqualifying him from the race, a report carried by The Associated Press stated..

In a telephone interview with the AP from his home in Croix des Bouquets, Jean said his lawyers will file an appeal with the national electoral dispute office.

Jean said that he has a document "which shows everything is correct" and that he and his aides "feel that what is going on here has everything to do with Haitian politics."

"They are trying to keep us out of the race," he said, referring to Haiti's political establishment.

Haiti's elections board rejected Jean's candidacy Friday night — presumably because it decided he didn't meet residency requirements, although the board did not cite a specific reason. Under Haitian law, a presidential candidate must have lived in the country for five consecutive years leading up to the election.

Jean has argued that he was not required to comply with the law so strictly because after President Rene Preval appointed him as roving ambassador in 2007, he was allowed to travel and live outside the country.

Some officials in Haiti worried about political unrest among Jean supporters after his candidacy was rejected. But the singer asked his fans to stay calm, and there were no significant election-related protests or violence over the weekend — although rumors swirled about a large protest planned for Monday.

Many people in Jean's hometown of Croix des Bouquets — a suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince — cheered the singer Sunday in his quest for the presidency.

Jean said he had planned to leave the country this weekend to see his family in New Jersey, but has decided to stay in Haiti to see the appeal process through.

Shortly after informing the AP of his decision Sunday morning, Jean announced it again on his Twitter feed, saying: "Tomorrow our Lawyers are appealing the decision of the CEP. We have met all the requirements set by the laws. And the law must be Respected."

Gleaner senior reporter Arthur Hall, must be lauded for his investigative piece on Sunday showing the email trail among the solicitor general, Douglas Leyes, the attorney general Dorothy Lightbourne, lawyer Harold Brady and Prime Minister Bruce Golding on the troublesome issue that just will not go away – the Manatt Affair.

According to the article, which shows emails covering a seven-month span the emails are proof that the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Philips was working for the Jamaican government ans not the Jamaica Labour Party, as had been declared by PM Golding.

The emails also “indicate that the prime minister and the attorney general were updated at intervals on the discussions and were apparently involved in the next-steps decisions as the Government sought to lobby the US on the Coke issue.

"We have to talk on Monday after we have had a chance to brief the PM and the AG (Dorothy Lightbourne)," said Brady in an email to Manatt, which was copied to Leys,” the Sunday Gleaner articles states.

Meanwhile the opposition People’s National Party has called on the prime minister to resign, amidst these latest revelations. As one online reader commented: “Bruce, Ley and Dorrothy need to resign now. Not next week or next month but immediately. There are others in the party that can lead. Andrew Holness can take up the mantle.

They are quick to fire commissioners of police, director of bank of Jamaica, SLB director and PSC board for ``misconduct`` or shortcomings; yet they have done far worst and refuse to step as side. Its time that the people of Jamaica fire these people of double standards.”

The first ever Miss Jamaica Gospel Ambassadors Pageant ahs been launched by a husband and wife team, the first of its kind in Jamaica.

The show is being hosted under the theme "Christ - the Advocate of the People."

The coordinators say the show aims to foster spiritual connections across denominational boundaries.

They say they want to remind young women that "there's still life in the church".

The competition is open to young women from the ages of 18 to 25 and contestants will be judged in three categories namely through the assessment of an out reach project, their talents and knowledge of the bible.

The contest will run from September to November of this year, beginning with four regional eliminations.

An eight weeks television series will act as a build up to the grand finale slated tentatively to be held at Kings House under the patronage of the Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

The winner will walk away with several great prizes to include airline tickets and a college scholarship.

Olivia James was sixth in the girls' 400 metre "A" final in 54.14 seconds behind winner Robin Reynolds of the US in a season's best 52.57 seconds.

Stefan Fennell missed the bronze medal by one-hundredth of a second, returning a personal best 13.54 seconds for fourth in the boys'110 metre hurdles "A" final, won by Australia's Nicholas Hough in a personal best 13.37 seconds.

Janieve Russell finished seventh in the girls long jump "A" final with a leap of 5.83 metres behind German winner Lena Malkus 6.40 metres, while Megan Simmonds improved her personal best to 13.62 seconds in the girls' 100 metre hurdles "A" final for fourth place behind Russia's Katrina Bleskina 13.34 seconds.

In the consolation finals, Jamaica's Sasha Gay Marston threw 40.36 metres for second in the girls' discus "B" final, Frederic Dacres threw a personal best 54.79 meters for second behind winner Janos Kaplar of Hungary in the boys' discus "B" final.

Shericka Jackson can increase Jamaica's medal tally on Sunday as she competes in the women's 200 metre final.

But expectant and prospective show patrons can forget about seeing these young Christian women in swim suits and such as this contest is 100% endorsed and in some cases sponsored by the church.

To prepare a flower bed or garden, I begin by removing weeds, stones or the remains of previous plantings.

Working steadily and with patience, I open the space to sunlight, air and moisture.

With each handful that I remove, I see more of the potential for the garden I have in mind. When it is clear, I rake the soil. I now have a perfect spot in which to plant my seeds of choice.

Forgiveness is much like preparing a garden. I prepare my heart by removing--one handful at a time--the debris of resentment, misunderstanding or anger. My heart opens to divine light and love. It is the perfect place for joy, love and peace to blossom.

They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden.--Hosea 14:7

Yardflex would like to congratulate international deejay Shaggy and his girlfriend Rebecca Packer who are the proud parents of twin sons born recently. Big up Shaggy, we hope to see photos of the cuties real soon.

After everything has already been discovered about Fantasia and Antwaun Cook’s relationship, the married man has finally come forward to give his side of the story.

Antwaun’s lawyer, Nicole Sodoma, released a statement last night regarding his position about both Fantasia and his wife Paula.

“Antwaun would be remiss not to address the criticism and judgment he has received. He knew Fantasia Barrino but the failure of his marriage can in no way be blamed on anyone except the two people that were a part of the union – Paula and Antwaun. [Paula and Antwaun] expected their marriage to stand the test of time.

Unfortunately, like many marriages, it did not turn out as planned. In late summer 2009, after years of discussion, the parties separated with the intention of no longer being married.”

Paula stated in court documents that the two split June 16, 2010, not summer 2009 as Antwaun is stating.

Now, that everybody has said their peice, hopefully all this drama will die down.

In spite of the negative publicity the country has been receiving there is still a ray of hope on the horizon as according to Newsweek Magazine Jamaica is the top Caribbean country to live in terms of education, health, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and political environment.

According to the magazine's first-ever Best Countries special issue, Jamaica ranked 47th of 100 countries while Cuba and the Dominican Republic — the only other Caribbean countries on the list — were ranked 50th and 55th respectively.

"We set out to answer a question that is at once simple and incredibly complex — if you were born today, which country would provide you the very best opportunity to live a healthy, safe, reasonably prosperous, and upwardly mobile life?" Newsweek said in its latest issue.

Newsweek said it compiled metrics within the five categories and used a weighted formula to arrive at an overall list of the world's top 100 countries.

According to Newsweek, the effort took several months, during which it received copious aid from an advisory board that included Nobel laureate and Columbia University professor Joseph

the most recent data available for each metric), rather than a historic or predictive view."

Two members of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire on Wednesday pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a brawl at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas on Monday.

Ainsley Morris, 24, and Lenburgh McDondald, 26, of Portmore, St. Catherine, pleaded guilty before a Bahamian magistrate to causing harm to a spirit airlines pilot.

The men pleaded guilty to damaging the pilot's US$600 laptop computer, his US$400 Ipod and his US$250 sun glasses.

While Morris and McDondald pleaded guilty to the charges; the prosecution dropped the charges against "Popcorn", another member of the Portmore Empire, whose given name is Andre Sutherland.

According to the Bahamian media, an altercation developed between the pilot and the three Portmore Empire members when the pilot went to use the restroom at the airport.

The Spirit Airlines pilot reportedly inquired who the men were, and asked if they could leave so that he could use the restroom. It is said that as the pilot left the restroom, one of the men pushed the door, hitting him.

A verbal argument reportedly followed resulting in an altercation during which the pilot's laptop, Ipod and sunglasses got damaged.

A Canadian man says he is planning to file a human-rights complaint against an amusement park in the United States after security guards told him to cover up his Bob Marley t-shirt or leave the premises.

Brunaud Moise, 32, is seeking moral and punitive damages from the six flags-owned park as well as reimbursement for two entry tickets and a public apology for himself, his brother and Bob Marley’s family.

However, the amusement park insists it did not have a problem with the shirt's portrait of the late reggae legend, just the cluster of green, marijuana-shaped leaves that surround it.

Mr. Moise argues, however; that security staff singled him out because they associated a black man wearing a Bob Marley shirt with something criminal.

His attorney has noted that what happened to his client is more than unfortunate and is a violation of his human rights.

And a curfew imposed in sections of the Clarendon Police Division since 5 o'clock Thursday morning will end at 5 o'clock Saturday morning.

The boundaries of the curfew are north along the Twin Palm Estate, from the Water Pump to the NWC Pumping Station; south along Sandy Bay main road, from the intersection of Palmetto Pen main road to the New Testament Church; east along an imaginary line, from Berbie Commons to the National Water Commission Pumping Station at Berbie and west along the Twin Palm Estate, from the Water Pump to Board Villa, Palmetto Pen.

During the hours of the curfew, persons within its boundaries are required to remain within their premises unless otherwise authorized in writing by a member of the security forces, who is in charge of enforcing the curfew.

Kingston, Jamaica: German Journalist Felix Lill has been awarded the 2010 Austrian Sports Journalism Award in the Print Category for a story on sprint champion Usain Bolt that he filed from Kingston, Jamaica.

The award winning article appeared in three European publications: Fit For Life, a monthly magazine on endurance sports from Switzerland, Kurieran Austrian daily, and Hamburger Abendblatt, a German daily.

According to Lill, the award "was really surprising for me because I had submitted my work for the under-25 category and eventually ended up winning the adult's prize. That is to say, I am the youngest award winner in the history of this award."

Lill said the focus of the story was on Bolt's "achievements, his character and his meaning for his country, Jamaica." The award winning story was produced between Bolt's "two amazing world record runs in Beijing 2008 and Berlin 2009."

The interview with the sprinter was facilitated by the organizers of Reggae Marathon through Race Director Alfred "Frano" Francis, while Lill was visiting Jamaica to cover the 2008 staging.

Radar Online is reporting that Fantasia Barrino appears to be back with the man who was the cause of all her recent problems.

According to RadarOnline.com, the “American Idol” champ is now openly dating her married boyfriend, Antwaun Cook.

“Fantasia and Antwaun are back together again and they have even talked about marriage once his divorce is finalized with Paula,” a source told Radar. “She knows that her family will only fully accept her relationship with him when he is no longer married.

Just one day after being released from the hospital, the singer, 26, was reportedly photographed having a heartfelt conversation with Cook in front of cameras for her VH1 reality show, “Fantasia For Real.”

Cook was also snapped removing his belongings from the home of his estranged wife, Paula Cook, with whom he has two young sons.

“Antwaun has finally committed to Fantasia and his wife knows that their relationship is definitely over now,” the insider added.

“They want the divorce pushed through as soon as possible and Fantasia is determined to marry him and she wants to start a family with him too.”

Looks like Gabrielle Union is off the hook for allegedly getting frisky in front of Dwyane Wade’s kids…A judge ruled in Gabby’s favor, officially ending the lawsuit that Siohvaughn Wade filed against her accusing her of exposing their children to some sexy foreplay.

Dwyane Wade’s actress GF Gabrielle Union just won big in her legal battle against Dwyane’s ex-wife — as of last week, she’s officially in the clear over charges that she got too sexy in front of Dwyane’s kids.

It’s all over a lawsuit the basketball star’s ex-wife Siohvaughn Wade (right) filed a few months ago — claiming her and Dwyane’s kids were left scarred when Gabrielle and the Miami Heat guard engaged in “sexual foreplay” in front of them.

Reggae legend Bunny Wailer has sought to explain what happened at the school he operates in Mona, St. Andrew on Monday.

Operators of the singer's school were evicted on Monday based on a court order after he allegedly failed to pay over more than $1.2 million in rent owed.

However, on Wednesday, Bunny Wailer in an interview with TVJ’s Entertainment said that things could have been done differently.

The 63-year old reggae icon says for many years he alone has been maintaining the property on which his Millennium School is located and this was at no cost to the proprietor.

He claims the owner ignored damage done to the property even after a hurricane damaged it in 2007.

According to Bunny Wailer, he was not given a fair chance by the courts to defend himself as he was not called in to tell his side of the story.

However, when he was presented with copies of the court document, which claimed he owed his landlord more than $1.2 million in rent and late fees, Bunny Wailer said he had not seen them before now and refused to look at them.

The school was closed on Monday after an eviction order was issued by the courts.

Amidst calls for the government to pay up all outstanding monies owed to public school teachers, newly installed JTA president Nadine Molloy has declared 'no retreat or surrender' on the vexing wage issue.

The teachers have accused the government of gross dishonesty claiming they are being robbed by “old pirates”.

The teachers are pressuring education minister Andrew Holness, to use his influence to get government to settle the long delayed wage issue.

Speaking at the Jamaica Teacher's Association conference at the Sunset Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios on Tuesday, Holness said he was sorry that the wage issue was still a sore point.

Holness, in trying to calm their anger, said the non-payment of the outstanding monies was not a malicious act on the part of government.
"While there might be dissatisfaction in the ranks ...

I want you to know that the government is not malicious in not responding to your claims and your calls with the alacrity that it deserves."

Hip-hop star Kanye West won't have to attend in person a mediation session aimed at resolving a lawsuit filed against him by rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.

A Miami federal judge recently agreed to permit West to take part in the Aug. 26 session by phone. West's lawyers say he can't be there personally because of a long-standing business commitment outside the continental U.S.

Knight is seeking more than $1 million in damages from West and his companies. Knight was shot in the leg at a 2005 Miami Beach party hosted by West, whom he blames for lax security.

West, Knight and their lawyers met in New York for six hours in June but failed to settle the case.
The shooter has never been identified and the case is unsolved.

Yesterday when wi a read di Star wi couldn’t help but agree sey da question deh did deh pon wi mind big and serious. Yeah man, wi did a wonder if him still deh a jail inna a Miami or what.

But it seems like sey not even Star can find out fi sure whey fi him case concerned. Still a couldn’t true sey him inna witness protection programme? And if a suh it guh, a who him a gi evidence gainst?

Bwoy wi just wish wi know what’s really going on in this case.

Check out some a whey Star sey…According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, 31-year-old Davis has been released since April 9, 2010.

However, when contacted, Temple Black from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said, "I can confirm there is an ICE detainer but I cannot provide any further details based on our privacy policy."

An ICE detainer, according to the Immigration Policy Center website immigrationpolicy.org, is a "tool used by ICE and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to identify potentially deportable individuals who are housed in jails or prisons nationwide.

An immigration detainer is an official request from ICE to another law enforcement agency (LEA) - such as a state or local jail - that the LEA notify ICE prior to releasing an individual from local custody so that ICE can arrange to take over custody."

Meanwhile, sources close to Davis said they have not spoken to him but they have heard that the artiste is currently in prison in Philadelphia, United States. There are also speculations that he is in witness protection. There were also other theories that he was in a Philadelphia prison on a different charge.

Lawks wi can tell unno how wi feel shame every time we make the headlines wid wi bad behavior. Why we can restrain ourselves and just stay out of the headlines.

The worst thing about it is that we a di first ones dem fi start cuss when the security people dem say that dem doan want wi deejays dem fi perform in dem country. We start to talk bout how dem a fight gainst, dem bad mind and all dese tings.

Now what will be our argument now? Dem allow dem in di country and now look deh, Popcaan arrested in a big brawl a di airport inna Bahamas.

Now what dem did inna di bathroom a do wid di two girl dem? And why dem go guh take on di pilot fi Spirit airline?

Britain's David Bolarinwa and Jamaica's Odane Skeen won their qualifying heats in the 100 metres at the Youth Olympics yesterday, setting up a final between two sprinters touted as possibly the next Usain Bolt.

Bolarinwa blew away the field in his heat, finishing in 10.62 seconds. Skeen got out slowly but surged to run 10.63 and beat Thailand's Jirapong Meenapra.

The 16-year-old Bolarinwa has the fastest time this year among 16- and 17-year-olds — a 10.39 in London this month. Skeen, a 15-year-old whose lanky style has some likening him to his compatriot Bolt, ran a 10.46 in Jamaica.

"I thought 'let me go there, go hard and see if anyone can go faster,'" Bolarinwa said. "It was a good performance overall."

Skeen was less thrilled with his race, blaming his slower time on two false starts by other competitors. But he said come Saturday's final, he would win.

Bolarinwa and Skeen will face each other for the first time. Skeen was surprised to learn Bolarinwa has posted the fastest 100 this year. Marvin Bracy of the United States ran the second fastest, but is not competing at the games.

Organisers of the first Youth Olympics have emphasised participation rather than winning, but that was lost on Bolarinwa and Skeen.

Both boys seemed to relish the comparison to Bolt and their budding rivalry to that of Bolt and Tyson Gay.

Told he has been compared to Bolt, Skeen just smiled and said he dreams of surpassing his idol.
"I want to be better than Bolt," said Skeen, whose goal it is to win gold at the 2012 Olympics in London.

David Smith, head of failed investment scheme, Olint, who is now on bail in the Turks and Caicos Islands, has been indicted on 23 charges in the United States. It is anticipated that there will be an extradition request for Smith to go to the US to face the charges.

In the indictment released on Wednesday, US authorities claim Smith's fraudulent transactions started no later than February 2005 and continued through July 2008. The indictment was handed down in the US District Court in the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.

Some US$128 million which the US authorities claim David Smith gained through wire fraud is up for seizure, in addition to which, he is charged for four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 18 counts of money laundering to conceal specified unlawful activity.

There is also a request that the court allow them to seize premises in Florida which Smith purchased allegedly with criminal proceeds, as well as precious gemstones and metals, jewellery and other property which are owned by him.

According to the indictment, Smith "broke the law by soliciting and obtaining more than US$200 million in funds under false pretences, failing to invest investors funds as promised and misappropriating and converting investors funds to (his) benefit and the benefit of others without the knowledge or authorization of the investors ... ."

The US prosecutors allege that Smith solicited or caused others to solicit prospective clients to open trading accounts with Olint, Olint Corporation, Olint TIC and TIC VEX based on his promise to use their money in foreign-exchange trading with a high return on their investment and with only 20 per cent at risk, "even though (the defendant) well knew that these representations were false".

The indictment claims Smith transferred millions of dollars of his clients money into his private bank accounts, "which he used to finance a lavish and expensive lifestyle and from which he and others received millions of dollars in goods, services and other benefits".

THREE members of the Adijah 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer entourage are expected to appear in court today to face charges of assault and damage after an alleged airport brawl on Monday afternoon.

Palmer, a popular dancehall musician, was in town to perform at the weekend birthday event of Sebas Bastian, a local events promoter.

Jamaican-born Palmer and his entourage were scheduled to leave Nassau for Kingston at 2.10pm on Monday when police were called to break up a fight in the men's bathroom of the international departure lounge.

Police reports state that several of the offenders "damaged property" and "assaulted a passenger" who was also scheduled to travel on the Air Jamaica flight.

The flight was delayed for several hours because of the altercation."It was a group of them that ganged the guy, but he could only identify three of them.

They were punching him all over. We allowed the ones he could not identify to go," said Assistant Superintendent Dennis Dames, officer-in-charge of the airport police station.The names of the three men in custody were not released up to press time.

ASP Dames said the police were still considering more charges, and would release the names after completing the process.

"The brawl started where you had these Jamaican men, five of them, in the men's bathroom with three Jamaican girls. The complainant wanted to use the bathroom.

Upon entering the bathroom he said 'excuse me' he needs to use the bathroom, 'why are the women in there?' The Jamaican guys attacked him," he said.He had no comment as to why the men and women were in the male bathroom in the first place.The complainant was a Bahamian employee of Spirit Airlines based in the United States.

He opted not to travel on the Air Jamaica flight after the incident. Police reports indicate his injuries were "minor.

"ASP Dames said the airline was responsible for allowing the men who were released from custody to board the flight, even though there were claims that other passengers were "concerned." No Air Jamaica spokesperson could be reached for comment.

"A lot of passengers were agitated that this Jamaican gang were (allowed on the plane). They were kind of afraid of them coming back on the airplane. That was not our call. That was the airline's call," said ASP Dames.

Wi cuss dem when dem do bad but wi haffi big dem up when dem highlight something fi meck people know what a gwaan. Check out da one ya inna di Star.

Vendors in the Half-Way Tree area of St Andrew say that they are concerned about the increased presence of homosexuals in the Mandela Park.

The vendors say that homosexuals have been using the park as a regular meeting spot and are converging there in numbers nightly. There are also reports that some of these men have been using the Emancipation Park as a regular meeting spot on weeknights as well.

A group of vendors who were gathered discussing the matter at the park explained to the paper that nightly after 9 p.m., the men are "in deh like sand". One angry vendor said "them tek over, a fi dem park".

Another vendor pointed out that on week nights, other suspected homosexuals hang around close to the Half-Way Tree clock waiting for the arrival of luxurious vehicles which come by to pick them up.

Michael Jackson’s father is appealing a court decision which says that he has no right to object to the executors of his son’s will.

Joe Jackson’s lawyer Brian Oxman filed papers at the 2nd District Court of Appeals in California last Friday (Aug. 13) to object to the decision made by the Probate Court in November 2009.

Joe – who had objected to executors John Branca and John McClain, accusing them of fraud and embezzlement, which the pair strongly deny – was told at a previous hearing he could not make any complaints because he was intentionally left out of his late son’s will.

However, in the documents for the appeal Joe claims he was “not treated with dignity and worth” when the case was dismissed last November.

According to TMZ, the appeal alleges that Joe was denied “due process in not according him a hearing where he could present evidence of his standing.”

Lawyers for Jackson – who had a tumultuous relationship with his late son – insist he was financially dependant on the superstar and should therefore have a right to object to the appointment of the men who are making financial decisions for the estate.

However, Margaret Lodise, the lawyer for Michael Jackson’s children – Prince Michael, 13, Paris, 12, and eight-year-old Prince Michael II (Blanket) – claims Joe only cares about his stake in the estate, describing him as “the ultimate dog in the manger.”

Dem people ya really a gwaan bad you know. Imagine preying on students. The government needs to send a strong message.

The Ministry of Education has stepped up the auditing of accounts of several schools in the wake of reports that community dons are targeting Principals as part of extortion rackets.

A tough-talking Andrew Holness, Education Minister, issued a stark warning to racketeers that no attempt will be spared, to stop the shake-down of public schools

Mr. Holness pointed to an instance in which a school principal was fired after he submitted fictitious documents to the ministry for salary payments being made to teachers who did not exist.

This was so he could pay extortionists.

The minister did not name school or the principal involved in the scheme.

“I’m saying to the community dons, leave our schools alone. I’m saying to them, don’t encourage any gangs in our schools … I’m saying to them, respect our teachers … don’t rob our schools,” Mr. Holness said while addressing teachers and administrator of the Steer Town Academy, following a tour of the Mansfield Primary School, a new $200 million educational facility in St. Ann, set to open next month.

Soul and R&B singer Erykah Badu has paid a fine and will serve six months probation for stripping off her clothes to film a music video Dallas, Texas, at the site where former President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, a city official said on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old music star had been charged with disorderly conduct in April over her nude video shoot in Dealey Plaza for her single “Window Seat,” from her latest album “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh).

Badu agreed with prosecutors in her hometown of Dallas to serve probation that will end February 11, and she paid a $500 fine late last week, a spokesman for the city of Dallas said.

In “Window Seat,” Badu sheds all her clothes throughout the course of the song as she walks and runs through the plaza. At the end, a gunshot rings out and she collapses to the ground naked, as blue blood spills out to form the word “groupthink.”

Wyclef Jean said Tuesday he is in hiding in Haiti after receiving death threats amid the drama surrounding the country’s presidential election.

Haiti’s electoral commission said late Tuesday that it was postponing its ruling on who will be allowed to run for president in November elections, leaving Wyclef’s candidacy in limbo. A statement from the commission, known as the CEP, said it would postpone the announcement until Friday.

Wyclef disclosed the threats in a series of e-mails to The Associated Press, revealing few details. Jean said he received a phone call telling him to get out of Haiti and that he was in hiding in a secret location in the Caribbean country.

The Haitian-born Jean said he did not know whether the commission would approve his candidacy, but there have been questions about whether he meets the residency requirements to run.

“We await the CEP decision but the laws of the Haitian Constitution must be respected,” he said in one of a flurry of e-mails.

Later in the evening, Jean sent the AP a one-word e-mail: “Hope!”

The CEP’s decisions — or lack thereof — sparked small protests throughout Port-au-Prince. During one peaceful march near the CEP office Tuesday afternoon, several dozen young men marched and sang in the rain. Later in the evening, a main road in and out of the city was blocked by burning tires.

Haiti’s Constitution requires candidates to have lived in the country for the five consecutive years before the election. Jean knew his U.S. upbringing could be a roadblock to his candidacy, but has said his appointment as a roving ambassador by President Rene Preval in 2007 exempts him from the residency requirement.

Lawyers for the musician were at the CEP headquarters seeking to argue his case, he said.

More than 30 people had filed to run for president of a country still struggling to recover from the Jan. 12 earthquake, which destroyed thousands of buildings and killed an estimated 300,000 people.

The candidacies of some 20 people were contested, the CEP announced; in order to properly decide on their eligibility, the group said it needed more time to investigate.

Wi just waan ask one question, Star can find any good cover story f idem paper? It seems that everyting Beenie Man and D’Angel do dem just all over a di two a dem and have dem pon dem cover. If yuh ask me, dem find a good way fi stay inna di spotlight. Cause whey really a gwaan fi di two a dem right now? Dem a feed offa demselves fi enjoy a vibe inna di music biz.

Besides dat, dem neva haffi write nuh story sey she forgive him cause di mere fact sey him deh pon Onstage a sey a him wife dat and all dese tings dun tell yuh sey dem back together again. Dem did dung a Sunfest a kiss up so what’s new bout she forgive him, fling dat pon di social page or sinting.

Gramps Morgan without a doubt has had a fantastic 2010 and looking for an better 2011. We caught
up with Gramps to find out all of the details about his career, what he’s been up to and his brand new
concept of music he is looking to put out. Mr. Lover himself, Shaggy who’s been in the game for close
to twenty years strong, talked about the secret to longevity and success. He also touched upon how it
feels to be one of the artists who toured the most countries in the world!

Usher Raymond can sing, dance, perform and do dancehall – all with perfection! The ladies were
definitely in awe seeing the handsome entertainer flex and tease the crowd with his amazing roster of
hits. Usher performed for close to 90 minutes consecutively and gave Jamaica and amazing treat that
we very well received. We caught up with Usher at the official sumfest press conference and asked him
about his take on dancehall music and the collaborations. Great news, he is looking to make some great
fusions with reggae and r&b. Check out these interviews and more all exclusive for www.yardflex.com

If you are a fan of Gyptian, Queen Ifrica, Jah cure and want to see Chris Brown dance then you
definitely do not want to miss out on these exclusive interviews that we have here exclusive for
yardflex.

Mr. Hold You himself was live and direct for another sunfest treat with us and spoke about his
first week of having his album internationally released. Gyptian is ready to make the leap from
a reggae artists to but to a commercial mainstream artists and start to make some of that paper
as he says! Her royal highness Queen Ifrica performed all of her great tunes and especially
dedicated her album track song ‘montego bay’ to the fans of montego bay where she hails from.
Jah cure shared some nice insight with us about his up coming projects and what he is hoping as
improvements for Jamaica in due time.

Chris Brown showed his dance skills and had his fans in Jamaica grooving right there along
with him! For someone who has no direct Caribbean connection, he has definitely mastered
how to move like a dancehall king. The ladies were in tuned to every step and every move that
Chris Brown took and I’m sure the fellas learned a couple of new moves from one of the hottest
entertainers right now.

Dancehall night would not be complete without two of the hottest artists still rocking it out at
sumfest. Yardflex caught with up with the warlord himself, Bounty killer for an exclusive interview.
He talked about the state of emergency in Jamaica and how he is now a different man – a church
going man. Yes, Rodney Pryce A.K.A Mr. Bounty Killer is now a church fairing man with the help of his
mother Miss Ivy. Vybz Kartel is also showing his entrepreneurial skills as he ventures into another side
of business, making rum! Street Vybz rum is going to latest merchandise available from Kartel along
with the music of course! I

One of the ladies of dancehall Cecile also gave yardflex a one of one, telling her fans what she’s been
up to and her new album soon to come. Cecile has been in the game for quite some time and keeps
re inventing herself and coming in strong with great music that both the men and ladies can enjoy!

Junior athlete, Ricardo Powell, who got into trouble during last year's Boys and Girls and Champs after making an obscene gesture to the crowd, is wanted for questioning by the Hunts Bay Police in regards to an incident which led to the death of a woman in Duhaney Park last week.

The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported that on August 7, Powell and the daughter of 40-year-old Nadine Dillworth got into an argument which led to a fight.

During the altercation it was reported that Powell threw a stone which struck Dillworth in the head.

Reports are that the woman was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to her injury.

Powell represented Jamaica as a junior and ran the 200 and 400 metres for Calabar High School

Jamaica's first National Hero was born in St. Ann's Bay, St. Ann, on August 17, 1887. In his youth Garvey migrated to Kingston, where he worked as a printer and later published a small paper "The Watchman".

During his career Garvey travelled extensively throughout many countries, observing the poor working and living conditions of black people.
In 1914 he started the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), in Jamaica. The UNIA, which grew into an international organisation, encouraged self-government for black people worldwide; self-help economic projects and protest against racial discrimination.
In 1916, Garvey went to the USA where he preached his doctrine of freedom to the oppressed blacks throughout the country.
However, USA officials disapproved of his activities and he was imprisoned, then deported.
Back in Jamaica in 1927, he continued his political activity, forming the People's Political Party in 1929. He was unsuccessful in national elections but won a seat on the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC).

But the world of the 1930s was not ready for Garvey's progressive ideas. He left Jamaica again, this time for England where he died in 1940. His body was brought back to Jamaica in 1964 and buried in the National Heroes Park in Kingston.

Garvey's legacy can be summed up in the philosophy he taught - race pride, the need for African unity; self-reliance; the need for black people to be organised and for rulers to govern on behalf of the working classes.

Two District Constables assigned to the Kingston Central Division were arrested on Friday by members of the Anti Corruption Branch.

With a tally of 183 murders since the start of the year, the old capital, Spanish Town is officially the most dangerous place to live in Jamaica.

Spanish Town and its environs also rank high on the list in terms of the numbers of robberies, break-ins and other major crimes.

According to the latest official figures, the St Catherine North Police Division has overtaken St James and St Andrew South, which have traditionally been the areas with the most murders in the island.

Following closely are St James, where the official figures show that 129 persons have been murdered so far this year, while 115 homicides were committed in St Andrew South, which includes Waterhouse, Drewsland, Seaview Gardens and sections of Maxfield Avenue and several others.

Clarendon is also among the killing fields of Jamaica with 103 murders so far this year.

The safest parish, using the murder numbers, is Portland, where six persons have been killed so far this year.

This represents a 60 per cent drop when compared with the corresponding period last year.

Also relatively safe is St Elizabeth with 11 murders, and Hanover, with 14 killings.

The Public Sector Transformation team has reported that among the current undertakings in Government which have been unnecessarily costing the taxpayers billions of dollars is the fact that dead persons are on the Government’s payroll.

The Public Sector Transformation Unit has reviewed all government agencies and has made suggestions on where there should be staff cuts and mergers.

A key aim of the process, which is being undertaken over an 18-month to two-year period, is to achieve a lowering of the public sector wage bill, in relation to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to below 10 per cent.

Reports are that Commissioner of Customs, Danville Walker, has declared that the department will begin the probe with the bonded warehouses which it considers more risky.

He explained that the concept of the bonded warehouse is to ease some of the financial burdens faced by car dealers, by allowing them to pay customs duties on the cars at the time of sale, instead of at the point of importation.

According to the Customs Commissioner, some dealers are exploiting the loopholes in the system.

Meanwhile, Desmond Panton’s charges include customs duty evasion of some 51 vehicles and taking steps to defraud the government of duties and taxes. The charges carry fines of around $100 million.

Investigations into the operations at Key Motors are ongoing, as there are several important questions that remain unanswered. TheCustoms Department has already been repossessing some of these 51 vehicles.

When I feel threatened, I may feel a certain level of fear or anxiety. I may react by searching frantically for someone or something to help me.

But there is a better way. In times of fear, I have faith that nothing can harm me, because I am in the midst of the presence of God.

God is within, without, above and below, an all-encompassing presence. It does not matter how chaotic outer conditions may seem, I am secure in the presence of God and I maintain inner peace and composure.

When I have a tranquil mind, no inharmonious experience has any power over me. I walk unalarmed in the midst of danger and bring peace to those who are afraid.

Bwoy, all we can remember is how Nuffy come pon Ragashanti programme and teck on Spice fi Lisa Hyper.

Afta him mash up him friendship with har, cause from whey wi listen on di programme dem did a come from far, sharing what likkle dem have wid each other and all dat.

Him feed Lisa information fi DJ bout Spice and now look deh, him not a part of har management team nuh more.

Yeah, we read inna di Star and check out deh comment whey Nuffy meck:

"Lisa is not di problem, har sista is the problem.

Har sista a seh Nuffy a get too much money but when Vybz Kartel was doing his thing she couldn't seh nutten, she couldn't even call, but as soon as mi tek up Lisa career, bring har guh Sting an mek she tek di show, is a problem.

She jus badmind dat Lisa career a tek off an fi har nah guh nuh weh. She all guh check Beenie Man bredda name Blue fi ask him bout how much money manager get an wah manager fi do."

Mi jus waan Jamaica know seh mi an Lisa nuh have nutten. Mi an har talk good good same way," he added.

Trina’s latest single “My B*****s” raised a few eyebrows around the offices here, and apparently elsewhere as the rapper recently defended the song to Vibe Magazine.

From Vibe.com:

“My B*****s” came from one of those days where I was in the studio [with] a bunch of different friends. Some aren’t celebs so it’s regular girls that work 9 to 5. They have jobs.

It’s a different life than the industry world and we were in the studio so I just starting thinking of medical assistants or somebody that’s working in a lawyer’s office and you just have a lot of independent women and to me it doesn’t matter what it is that you’re doing, but you’re doing it.

I love that. That’s how the song came together. It’s just strong women who are focused, but people took the word out of context…

I just think other people need to find something to do with themselves instead of just taking everything and making it into a big issue.

There’s so many more things to worry about in the world and the word bitch has been around before I was born and when I leave the earth it’s still gonna be around. It’s nothing we can do about it. I didn’t create the word. I just use it meaning that at the end of the day you’re a strong woman.

Remember when Jermaine and Janet broke up late last year right after her brother’s Michael death and everyone was up in arms about it? How could he leave her at such a terrible time in her life?

Well, according to mediatakeout.com insiders, Jermaine cheated on Janet with a stripper from Atlanta gentleman’s club Magic City – and got her pregnant. And the stripper is about to give birth any day now.

Shyne and his mohawk called up MTV to tell them how he felt about 50 Cent’s prank during his conference call.

“Wow. That’s like an all-time low,” Shyne said. “I didn’t know he was so desperate. He’s gone from confidential informant, witness-protection program dude, getting order [of protection] on muthaf—as. Now he’s a stalker.

I was in shock. He called up saying he was ‘Jamal from Harlem.’ He didn’t call up saying he’s Curtis Jackson, Hawaii 5-0. He’s a busta. I can’t believe it.

I can’t believe he would stoop to that low. Then again, a guy in the witness-protection program, he has no shame.”

The security forces were still combing sections of the St. Catherine North Police Division in pursuit of the remaining suspects in the shooting of eight persons in Tredegar Park, St. Catherine.

The nation was plunged into shock after news emerged that heavily armed men went on a rampage in a section of Tredegar Park known as Monkey Town early Friday morning.

They invaded several houses and killed the occupants.

Checks with the police have revealed that of the 15 alleged attackers, three have either killed or arrested.

Two of them were shot dead by the police during an alleged shoot-out in Brooklyn, Thompson Pen, a community neighbouring Tredegar Park, while the other was captured when he turned up at the Kingston Public Hospital on Saturday with gunshot wounds.

He remains in hospital under police guard.

The other persons wanted for questioning are Howard Jackson also called “Thirty”, Novado Hodges, Simeon Elwig, Joel Jenning also called “JJ” and Glenton Anderson known by his cronies as “Brown Man”.

Another influential music artist has passed. On Saturday we reported the death of actress and jazz great Abbey Lincoln.

Now, the Tulsa World is reporting that Robert Wilson of the Gap Band has died. He was 53.

Wilson, a native of Tulsa (OK), and his brothers, Charlie and Ronnie, started the Gap Band in the early 70s before moving to Los Angeles and finding fame as one of the premiere funk bands of the era.

Known as the “Godfather of Bass Guitar,” Wilson died from a massive heart attack in his home, his publicist and manager, Don Jackson said. His family became concerned about him when they didn’t receive their regular phone calls from him throughout the day. His adult son found Wilson’s body on Sunday afternoon in Palmdale, Calif.

Funeral details will be disseminated as they become available, confirmed his publicist.
Ironically Wilson gave what is most likely his last public interview to the Tulsa World last week to promote a show he was scheduled to do on August 28. The news outlet said he expressed joy about returning to his boyhood home of Tulsa and an upcoming festival headlining show and following tour.

The August 28 show will go on as planned, but will now be a memorial to Wilson.

Well, when you are being attacked, you don’t need anyone to tell you that you should defend yourself, do you? Just in case Former Senior Superintendent of Police Reneto Adams on Friday told the residents of Tredegar Park to protect themselves from the gunmen who continue to wreak havoc in their community.

The controversial cop was at the crime scene where gunmen murdered eight people in the St Catherine community in the wee hours of Friday morning. Adams who visited the community declared he was not afraid of the gunmen before advising residents to protect themselves.

"I drove in this community. I know that criminal elements are here, gunmen are here. I passed some of them sitting there also, but I'm not afraid of them, and I'm imploring you all to form a guard against these people to protect yourselves," Adams said.

He added; "My policy is that where criminals are concerned, we are to identify them and treat them like the ferocious crocodiles and alligators, having them killed in the eggs before the are hatched," Adams said.

"Anywhere you see the alligators and crocodiles, have them killed before they devour you."

But Adams was clear that he was not supporting lawlessness on the part of the residents.

"I'm not saying you are to go and do anything outside of the law, but as long as you are attacked, you must repel it by taking the necessary action," said Adams.

We like Renato Adams style, if more victims were fighting back, we wouldn’t have this kind of brazen attacks.

Declaring that Bar-bee had lots of fun on the set of the Sean Kingston Nicky Minaj video which was shot on location in Ocho Rios, in St Ann, Jamaica, Bar-bee’s publicist told YardFlex that the singer had nothing but love for the two artistes.

In fact, according to sources, Bootylicious Bar-bee, who was the lead girl in the video, but has been cut out, says she totally understood why it happened.

“The truth is that after the first and second edits I was all over the people dem video and if it looks like I am upstaging anybody then the marketing people are going to take a decision to cut me out. It’s not about me, it’s all about marketing the product,” she is reported as saying.

“Let’s get it straight: What is Bar-bee’s signature feature? Her booty. What is Nicky Minaj’s signature feature? Her booty. It’s Nicky’s video, so she has to be the star.

This sort of thing happens everyday.

As an artiste the spotlight is everything; some singers don’t allow even their back-up singers or band members to share the spotlight, while others will introduce them and even give them a solo.

It just depends on your confidence and comfort level,” one prominent artiste manager who requested anonymity stated.

According to the publicist, it was Sean Kingston and his mother who got in contact with Bar-bee and asked her to come to Florida and then to travel with them to Jamaica for the video shoot.

“We had other things doing but we re-arranged our itinerary and pushed back Bar-bee’s video shoot with Trina to accommodate this. Of course we are a bit disappointed that it turned out this way, but the publicity has been positive and the experience invaluable,” the publicist said.

And, as for Bootylicious Bar-bee, she is kicking back and looking forward to the premier of her video with Trina, And, she also sent a shout out to Sean Kingston’s mom, who she calls ‘Mama Kingston’.

A fire of unknown origin which spread quickly through the community of Hamilton Gardens in Gregory Park, Portmore yesterday morning has left 20 persons without a home.

A community of adjoining townhouses, the wind made it easy for the fire to sweep through Begonia Avenue once it started, In the aftermath, it was discovered that five houses had been damaged.
Reports are that there were no injuries and no one was home at the building where the fire started.

Total loss is estimated at $30 million. Most of the damage was to the upstairs section of the houses, all of which are covered under one stretch of roofing.

The fire fighters say the poor design of the houses facilitated the spread of the fire and the extent of the damage.

Hotelier Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart has earned the ire of former government minister John Junor for his no-holds-barred attack on Tourism Minister, Ed Bartlett, last week.

Stewart, who is the government-appointed head of JAMPRO, criticized Bartlett for his handling of tourism and said the minister was “yapping” away and had no understanding of the tourism industry.

According to Junor, who has served the People’s National Party under the leadership of PJ Patterson, “Duppy know who to frighten. Him (Butch Stewart) couldn’t tell me that.”

Junor, who was addressing a meeting of PNP supporters in South East St Andrew on Sunday evening, was clearly upset at what he called the disrespectful manner in which Stewart dealt with the minister.

"Edmund Bartlett is a member of the Cabinet of his country and is entitled to be treated with respect," Junor emphasized.
He further noted that the atmosphere had to be conducive for any kind of meaningful discussions to take place.

"Our public debate in this country cannot be characterised by running away from the issues or, as some have done recently, to elevate public discussion to a cuss-cuss ,” John Junor observed.

At a meeting last week, Butch Stewart had the following advice for Minister Edmund Bartlett: "My word of advice to Bartlett is to stop yapping and start fixing the operations side, which is making us less able to develop the quality tourism product we have and the competitiveness that we need."

The writer and director of "Avatar" says he'll celebrate his 56th birthday Monday deep beneath Russia's Lake Baikal. Cameron will be in a submersible about 5,200 feet (1,600 meters) from the surface of the world's oldest and largest lake — "unless it's bad weather, in which case I'll be getting drunk with the Russian crew in the port."

A longtime ocean enthusiast, Cameron has other underwater projects in the works. He says he is building a submarine in Australia that will take him 36,000 feet underwater — twice as deep as anyone has gone before.

He is also developing an upgraded 3-D underwater camera and has plans for an underwater feature film that he said he might make before taking on an "Avatar" sequel.

Just two days after music producer Mike Stock slammed the pop charts for being too pornographic for children, Rihanna took to the stage last night and made a rather sexually-suggestive dance move.

The singer grabbed her microphone and used it in a phallic way in front of her young fans at the concert at New York's Madison Square Gardens.

And it only reiterated Mike Stock's point that modern pop culture is 'sexualising' youngsters.

Stock, 58, was one third of the legendary pop factory Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and helped launch the career of Kylie Minogue.

This week he said: 'The music industry has gone too far. It's not about me being old fashioned. It's about keeping values that are important in the modern world.

'These days you can't watch modern stars - like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga - with a two-year-old.”
Although Rihanna, 22, is known for her raunchy dance moves and skimpy, revealing outfits, she does have thousands of young fans, many of whom may have been in the audience in New York last night.
Not that it stopped the singer strutting her stuff in her outfit that left very little to the imagination as she thrust and gyrated on stage.

But it was the suggestive move during the concert - which is part of her Last Girl On Earth world tour - with her microphone that really stood out as she showed no shame while performing it.

She's played every role from a dowdy young woman in Monster's Ball to a sexy mutant with super powers in X-Men, and in her latest photo shoot Halle Berry has undergone another dramatic transformation.

The Oscar-winning star's sleek 1920s-style bob and elfin look are a far cry from the casual mum-about-town style she sports when out and about with two-year-old daughter Nahla.
The former Bond girl poses in a series of velvet gowns in

the striking photos in this month's Vogue magazine.
In the accompanying interview Berry is candid about her break up earlier this year from former partner Gabriel Aubry and says she is optimistic about finding love in the future.

She told interview Jonathan Van Meter, 'I'm not done with love, but I refuse to settle.
'I am a hopeless romantic. And I won't stop till I get it right.'
Berry and Aubrey, 33, were together for 4 years and had daughter Nahla, 2, in 2008.

Of the breakup she said:'It’s just that you realise you are not meant to go the distance with everybody.

'We were meant to bring this amazing little person into the world. And I think that’s why we came together. And because of that, we are going to be together forever, all three of us.

We are a family until we are not here any more.'
Despite the breakdown of the relationship, Berry insists that the couple's split was amicable.

'By the time it hit the papers – full of rumours and lies, with people having to make up problems between us – Gabriel and I had long dealt with it. We were done. And we were on a good foot, and we had decided what we were going to do for Nahla, and we were able to say, 'This will pass."'

Still a family: Berry, says that she, Aubry and Nahla, pictured here at Disneyland earlier this year, will always be 'together forever'
The Monster's Ball star, 43, is the first African-American woman to appear on the cover of the iconic magazine's September issue, which is considered in fashion circles to be the most important issue of the year.

Six months after his United States visa was revoked, Wayne Chen, head of the state-run Urban Development Corporation and the Jamaica Employers Federation, had it reissued.

It was in February this year, while at the airport preparing to go on a business trip overseas, that Chen was told that he was unable to travel to the States as his visa had been revoked.

The businessman and lawyer told reporters at the time that he had not been informed prior to that and that he had visited the US embassy in Kingston on February 4 at which time he had presented his passport with his valid United States visa. He said that embassy officials at that time did not indicate their decision to revoke his visa.

Amidst growing speculation, Chen declared that he was totally ignorant as to the reason for the revocation. He subsequently met with the prime minister and spoke with the head of mission at the US Embassy on the issue.

A curfew has been imposed in several communities in St Catherine following the brutal slaying of eight persons, including an 11-year-old girl in Tredegar Park Thursday night.

The communities of Tredegar Park and Shelter Rock in St Catherine have been under curfew as of 6:00 pm yesterday.The curfew will remain in effect until 6:00 pm tomorrow.

The boundaries of the curfew in Tredegar Park are as follows: North along an imaginary line from the cell towers between Tredegar Park main road and Rio Cobre River;
South along Erving Drive between Tredegar Park main road, Jason Avenue and Rio Cobre River;
East along Tredegar Park main road between the cell towers and Carlisle Avenue; and
West along the eastern bank of Rio Cobre River between the cell towers and Carlisle Avenue.
The boundaries of the curfew in Shelter Rock are as follows:
North along Greendale main road between the Rio Cobre River and Jones Avenue;
South along Spanish Town bypass between the Rio Cobre River and an imaginary line moving from Jones Avenue;
East along Jones Avenue running from Greendale main road to Spanish Town bypass; and
West along the bank of the Rio Cobre River from Greendale main road to Spanish Town bypass.
During the hours of the curfew persons within its boundaries are required to remain within their premises unless otherwise authorized in writing by the ground commander.

United States federal authorities have indicted three illegal migrants from Jamaica with murder.

The Rochester District Attorney said Wednesday that the men were previously charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

The indictments accuse 45-year-old Richard Emanuel Anderson, 41-year-old Aston Johnson and 40-year-old Andrew Wright of being part of a marijuana trafficking ring along with the three victims.

Court documents said the defendants targeted and killed their compatriots inside an apartment in the town of Greece, a suburb of this up-state New York city.

Federal prosecutors said that the defendants travelled to Greece from after “substantial planning and premeditation” to kill Christopher Green, 40, Robert Moncriffe, 29, and Mark Wisdom, 38.
Prosecutors said the defendants targeted the victims after they failed to return the full cash for marijuana dispatched through the mail from California for sale in New York.

Arizona police said they arrested Wright, Johnson and Anderson during a raid in Phoenix on March 18.

Prosecutors said all three could face the death penalty for the federal charges. Five other defendants were also charged with drug conspiracy.

The Kingston Western Police have seized over 200 rounds of assorted ammunition at Bread Lane, Denham Town, Kingston 14 last night.
No one was arrested in connection with the seizure.

Reports from the Denham Town Police are that between 6:00 p.m. and 7:20 p.m., an operation was carried out in sections of the Kingston Western police area. During the exercise, a premises was searched and rounds of assorted ammunition were found.

“Nas and Damian Marley … It's called Distant Relatives because that's what we are! This isn't a concert, it's a family affair!"

Nas announced onstage at Brooklyn's Williamsburg Waterfront on Saturday (July 31), referring to his collaborator and co-headliner Damian Marley.

Throughout the show, the duo performed cuts off their Distant Relatives album together as well as doing alternating solo sets, all to a crowd of 7500 with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.

The show began with As We Enter, with Nas and Damian backed by a full band that included a bongo player, backing vocalists, DJ Green Lantern and even a flag waver who waved the Jamaican banner for the duration of the 90 minute set.

Damian's solo set included The Mission and More Justice. He then sang father Bob Marley's hits War and No More Trouble. "If you're next to someone who's not jumping, grab them!," Damian yelled before incorporating the elder Marley's Exodus into Move.

Nas returned for Distant Relatives cut Patience," which featured Damian Marley's falsetto.

Strong Will Continue was a standout that suited the audience's energy and had an anthem feel.

During Nas' Got Yourself A Gun, so familiar with fans that he barely had to rap, he let them take over.

Made You Look had the audience in a frenzy that continued to Damian's solo Welcome to Jamrock. Lighters made their return for Road to Zion, after which Damian told the audience, "This song is about the birthplace of humanity," before moving into finale Africa Must Wake Up which had the entire audience singing along.

Heineken Good Times returns to the Mas Camp Village in Kingston on Saturday August 28 with a secret weapon.

Dubbed Retro University Old Uniform Party, patrons are expected to come dressed for school and ready to embrace the added surprise that the organizers will not reveal until the night of the session.

The music will be the most cherished selections coming from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, with no interruptions of the flow coming from the microphones.

Dress comfortably and prepare to mingle with old friends after breezing through the traditional free-flowing entry gates. Those with advance tickets should note that their path into the venue should be even smoother because of these tickets.

As usual, there will be Heineken Premium bars fully stocked with beverages to last through the night, and special bucket deals served by professional and pleasant staff.

Tickets cost $800 and $1000 at the gate. They are available at Gym For Life in Half-Way-Tree, Music Mart, Cuddyz, Ribkage, Total Service Station Liguanea, Genus Pharmacy in Portmore, L.G. Brown Service Station, or through Jus Call Couriers.

Jamaica has so far recorded a total number to 104 cases of dengue fever, with 27 cases confirmed last week.

In recent weeks, cases of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever the more severe form of the disease, have been rising in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean.

Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer had announced during a press conference at Jamaica House last Tuesday that 77 laboratory confirmed cases had been detected, including seven confirmed cases of the severe type.

But despite the rapid increase in the number of cases, Lewis-Fuller said the number of persons confirmed with the virus was far less than the actual number of persons who have been infected.

She said the ministry suspected that the larger number of infected persons were not reported to the ministry.

Kingston and St Andrew, Manchester, Clarendon and St Catherine are reported to be the most active dengue areas.

Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted from the Aedes aegypti mosquito to humans.

Lewis-Fuller urged persons to assist in ridding their areas of breeding grounds for the vectors.
The symptoms of the virus include a high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, a rash and back pain.

Persons who are experiencing such symptoms are advised to visit their health-care provider so that they can be accurately diagnosed.

A keen contest between top American sprinter Tyson Gay and young rising Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake will be one of the highlights of the two-day London Diamond League Meet starting on Friday, August 13.

Twelve other Jamaicans including 400 metre world leader Jermaine Gonzales are down to compete over the two day meet.

With Asafa Powell withdrawing today due to his continued back problem, the attention in the men's 100 metres will be between Blake and Gay.

Blake showed his continued rapid improvement when he gave Gay a scare in the 200 metres at the Monaco Diamond League Meet last month.

The improving Mario Forsythe will be the other Jamaican in the men's 100 metres.

Fro the females, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, returning from injury, will also be in action on the first day along with Delloreen Ennis-London.

Ricardo Chambers, Shericka Williams, Novlene Williams-Mills and Kaliese Spencer will be in action on Saturday.

Live coverage of the meet can be seen on Television Jamaica starting at noon Friday and at 9:30am on Saturday.

In a recent interview with Complex magazine T.I. said this of his jail time…

“When I was goin’ through it (prison), I really felt like it added insult to injury. The lesson had already been learned. I already understood the errors in my ways and made the adjustments necessary.

“It did make me worse in a sense that, before I went in, I was already on the path of positivity. Putting me in prison took me off that path a little bit, and now I’m working to get back on that path – or at least back on the path to the extent that I was before I went in.

“I’m still not as bad as I was before this incident, but I lost a little bit of my positive focus during that period of incarceration. Being in that environment and having those daily surroundings, it’s going to affect you.”

Although on some level I can understand the point T.I. is trying to make. He is insinuating that he knew what he did was wrong and he decided that he was going to make a change with his life right before he went to jail. His time in jail somehow halted that progress.

Spiritual teachers know the importance of taking time apart. Whether they spend time in a quiet place of beauty or embark upon a new adventure, time away from routine activities is a source of renewal.

My schedule may be filled with activities for work, family, church and friends.

But as important as my work and relationships are, it is also vital that I spend time away from my routine. As I allow myself time for rest and renewal, I open my awareness to the radiance of the Christ of my being and feel it expanding.

Whether I am in the silence or immersed in the exhilaration of new activities, the energy of the Christ light infuses my body with vitality and my mind with peace. After a time apart, I am rested and restored.

After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.--Mark 6:46

Foxy Brown’s brother/rapper Gavin “Pretty Boy” Marchand was among the men arrested for allegedly using a stolen credit card to purchase designer clothes in Manhattan.

Gavin Marchand was arrested on August 7th for allegedly possessing a forged American Express card to purchase almost $8,000 worth of clothes from the Hermes store on Madison Avenue.

According to the New York Post, police were inside the store conducting surveillance when Gavin, 35, and three associates arrived at the high-end boutique.

A 31-year-old man named Warren David allegedly attempted to use the card. When the men attempted to leave the store, police approached them, but the driver, Derwin Benoit, led police on a 90-mph chase, before he finally pulled over and surrendered.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Foxy Brown told the New York Post as she left a grand jury hearing yesterday, for allegedly violating a restraining order against her neighbor last month.

Sections of Spanish Town in St. Catherine came under heavy security surveillance Thursday afternoon as police and military personnel stepped up the search for wanted men and contraband in the old capital.

Several suspects, who investigators say may be linked to an extortion racket, were taken into custody during cordon and search operations.

Superintendent Assan Thompson, head of the St. Catherine North Police Division, told RJR News that the operations focused on netting wanted men and removing illegal contraband from the streets.

“The bus terminus which continues to be a problem to the Division, a massive cordon and search operation was carried out there, where some eleven persons were arrested on suspicion for various crimes including extortion.

They are in custody and are being processed and we are looking among them to see if they are persons of interest or persons wanted in the Division,” Superintendent Thompson said.

The Divisional Commander added that another cordon and search operation was carried out in the Cumberland area.

“Out of that operation, 14 persons were arrested on suspicion 15 pounds of ganja was found inside the area close to the market and we are concerned about that because we recognize the proceeds from that ganja is being used to purchase firearms and to buy ammunition. So we are serious about that type of offence and we are searching for ganja and removing it from the street.

“A large amount of DVD’s and CD’s, illegal and pirated DVD’s and CD’s would have been seized in that operation.” Superintendent Thompson said.

The man said to have topped the country's most wanted list has been killed.

Dead is Cedric Murray, also known as 'Doggie', of Norwood in St James who reportedly headed the feared, 'Stone Crusher Gang', and was on the police most-wanted list, for several years.

He was killed by the St. James police in Clarendon Thursday, during a pre-dawn operation.

For more than five years Murray managed to elude several dragnets set up for him by the St. James police.

They say about seven thirty Thursday morning the police, who were on a special operation along the Clarendon/Manchester border were confronted by criminals traveling in a car.

Following an exchange of gunfire Murray was found dead in the car, reportedly clutching a nine millimeter pistol.

The driver of the vehicle, who is believed to have also been shot, managed to elude the lawmen.

According to commanding officer for St. James, Superintendent Merrick Watson, a diary containing volumes of information regarding the recent incursion of the Security Forces into Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, was taken from him.

The Superintendent read excerpts from it, some of which professed his loyalty to Christopher “Dudus” Coke’s family and his involvement in the shooting during that event.

It details events before, during and after the incursion into Tivoli Gardens and speaks about, “…the invasion of Tivoli Gardens by Babylon, enemy. Gunshot rang out for hours from every corner of Kingston…” The diary read.

Murray, who was killed on his birthday, was fingered in a large number of killings in St. James, including the recent triple killing of two men and a woman on Felicity Road in the capital.

The Bureau of Special Investigations has started a probe into the matter.

Residents of Tredegar Park in Spanish Town awoke to the tragic news that seven of their own were killed in the community.

Security forces are now in the area carrying out a major operation. The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) – the police information arm – confirmed the incident, which occurred about 1:00 am, but gave few details.

According to their statement given in the Observer: "The murders did occur, and police are currently in the area carrying out an operation. There's no confirmed information about how the killings occurred as yet because the officers are still on the ground”.

Tredegar Park has been under siege in recent years as a bloody feud between warring factions in the community, and in neighbouring Gravel Heights escalates.

Dozens of residents have had to flee their homes because of the conflict.

Responding to an appeal from the police to turn herself in, Stephanie Gayle, the girlfriend former Tivoli Gardens strongman, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, reported to the police yesterday evening.

Gayle also known as “Sue Gayle or “First Lady”, was placed on a list of persons of interest, which was made public. Three other people from West Kingston were also on the same list..

The Head of the Major Investigation Taskforce, Assistant Commissioner Les Green says Miss Gayle is now in police custody.

Assistant Commissioner Green says Gayle is being questioned in connection with threats against the security forces.

Reports are that Gayle is also being questioned in connection with crimes committed by Coke’s Presidential Click gang.

The appeal remains for Omar Damian Miller, otherwise called “Andy Fowl”; Andrew Emmanuel Brown, otherwise called “Presi Face” and Horace Hope Lee-Sue, also known as “Monk” or “Shoe” to report to the police.

Rihanna has made no secret of her love of tattoos. But with more than a dozen of them etched all over her body, it seems the pop singer may be becoming addicted.

The singer unveiled yet another piece of body art today - the words rebelle fleur, which translates from the French as 'rebellious flower'.

While it's almost impossible to keep count, at just 22 she now has at least 15 of the permanent inkings.

The latest etching joins a series of novelty markings, including recent addition 'always a failure, always a lesson' written back to front on her collarbone.

In March she controversially had a picture of a handgun etched across her ribcage.

Rihanna even has the 11-04-88 birthdate of her assistant, Melissa Forde, written in Roman numerals as XI IV LXXXVI on her left shoulder.

On top of this she boasts a smattering of stars plunging from the nape of the neck down her back, a music note on her right ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, a star in her left ear, a Sanskrit prayer going down her hip, and the word shhh.... on her right index finger.

She also has an Arabic phrase on her rib area which translates as Freedom in God, a small skull with a pink bow on the back of her left foot, and love on her left middle finger, a handgun, a henna-style dragon claw and a tribal pattern on her right hand.

The Barbadian singer received her newest inking on a late night date in New York with her new beau Matt Kemp. She was seen with the words written on her neck in pen before her late night trip to the tattoo parlour.

The words may have a deeper meaning to Rihanna, who was pictured hugging and kissing her lover as they looked through a book of designs. Perhaps it's his pet name for the star, who has talked of her devotion to the LA Dodgers player, 25.

Rambunctious rapper Foxy Brown arrived yesterday in Brooklyn Supreme Court court to testify in secret before a grand jury about her latest brush with the law.

She may call herself "Don Diva," but the singer intends to ditch her in-your-face attitude and tell jurors that she's really just a mama’s girl who's been trying to exorcise the nasty demons of her bad-girl past and now lives in her Prospect Heights brownstone with her mother.

The sassy singer, whose real name is Inga Marchand, will flatly deny that a stare-down with neighbor Arlene Raymond escalated into a profane tirade and ended with her provocatively mooning the woman, the sources said.

She faces felony charges from the July 21 incident.

The latest legal case against the platinum-selling singer has already taken its toll on her creative energies, a source close to Foxy said.

"Foxy can’t even sleep at night. This is truly a nightmare," said the source.

Brown was accompanied by her lawyer Salvatore Strazzullo, who declined to comment.

She left the courthouse a few hours later after testifying before the grand jury.

Brown said she hoped justice would be done.

"Today was about telling the truth and my focus was on trying to be exonerated," she said.

Wyclef Jean is being sued by Jacob The Jeweler, celebrity jeweler to the stars, for an unpaid bill.

It seems that Wyclef owes everybody money and they all are trying to collect after he announced his bid to become the next President of Haiti.

Wyclef reportedly owes the IRS $5 million and now Jacob The Jeweler also wants his money before Wyclef begins financing a Hatian Presidential campaign. According to Jacob & Company, Wyclef has paid for roughly half of the $765,000 worth of jewelery that Jacob The Jeweler made for him. Here's a price list of the items that Wyclef purchased but still owes money for.

Jennifer lopez is no longer being considered to be a judge on the next season of American Idol.

Apparently Fox and Jennifer lopez couldn't agree on the terms for the reality show.

According to an inside source, J-Lo's escalating demands have taken her out of the running to be a judge on American Idol.

The negotiations have broken down completely and she is no longer any part of the discussion of the upcoming 10th season. So far it looks like Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler are the only two onboard and the rest of the judge panel will be determined before the show starts taping.

The Tourism Minister is steering wide from comments made about him on Tuesday by Gordon "Butch" Stewart, hotelier and Chairman of JAMPRO.

The Sandals chain of hotels owner, lambasted Edmund Bartlett, saying that the minister was "yapping", and did not understand the factors that drive up the cost of tourism in Jamaica.

When asked if he will be responding to Mr. Stewart, Mr. Bartlett was coy.

“Maybe on Mr. Stewart’s score card, I don’t score too well (but) I’ve taken a position based on what the rest of the industry and everyone else who has observed my operation has given me … say nothing on the matter,” Mr. Bartlett said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Anti-Corruption Branch within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Justin Felice, has described as alarming, the 149 members booted from the force as a result of unprofessional conduct.

According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), the JCF has embarked on a three-year aggressive campaign to cleanse the organisation of corruption, and it is time for the "good officers" within the force to start curbing the unethical behaviour of others among them.

Since the campaign began in January 2010, 105 members have not been permitted to re-enlist in the JCF. In addition, 26 members have been retired in the public's interest, while 18 were dismissed as a result of corruption. Ten civilians have so far been charged with corrupting members of the JCF.

The ACP also told JIS News that over the same period, 55 persons have been arrested by the anti-corruption branch of the JCF for breaches, of which 31 have been charged.

"Police personnel accounted for 36, with 21 being charged. There were 19 civilians, with 10 being charged," ACP Felice informed, adding that those not yet charged are currently undergoing investigation.

He said that for the rest of the campaign, all available measures within the legislation and the rules of the JCF will be used to purge the force of corrupt members.

A 14-page report by the Public Accountability Inspectorate has uncovered the messy state of affairs which led to the immediate firing of the former Executive Director of the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) by Finance Minister, Audley Shaw.

The audit report highlighted problems with Lenice Barnett's personal financial benefits, loan scheme participation, and use of company vehicles as well as wider problems of administration.

The audit zeroed in on the remuneration and personal finances of the former Executive Director.

It found that her gratuity and travel allowances were rolled into her basic salary resulting in an inflation of the 9% incentive paid.

This resulted in a near $115,000 overpayment.

The report further states that Mrs. Barnett and the Finance Manager of the SLB were receiving gratuities even while contributing to the Pension Scheme.

This contravened their employment contracts which provided for gratuity in lieu of pensions.

The audit also found that for the period 2005 to 2009 salary advances to Mrs. Barnett amounted to nearly $5 million.

An internal audit raised concerns about the Management Accountant approving gratuity and salary advances to her without the Board's approval.

The accountant wrote to Mrs. Barnett in June 2009 expressing his concerns that a subordinate was approving payments to her and recommended that the Student’s Loan Council review the requests.

$1.8M for car upkeep despite getting company vehicles

There were also reports of misuse of the Bureau's motor vehicles.

The SLB purchased a 2006 Mercedes Benz and assigned it to Mrs. Barnett as part of her employment contract.

That vehicle was used up to June 2009, when it was parked at the Bureau and has not now being driven.

The report stated that the Executive Director requested approval from the Finance Ministry to purchase a 2009 Land Cruiser for field visits.

It was revealed that the vehicle was never used for its intended purpose and a Board member instead assigned the vehicle to Mrs. Barnett.

Despite having been assigned these vehicles, the investigation revealed that the Board approved Mrs. Barnett's use of her personal vehicle and allowed her to claim upkeep which amounted to $1.8 million over three years.

It was also reported that a home ownership plan was set up with VMBS in 2004 to help staff members with housing needs.

However, only the Executive Director was reported to have accessed that facility and that was said to be without the knowledge of the Bureau.

Another disturbing state of affairs was also uncovered.

In 76 cases, loans were made to educational institutions on behalf of borrowers and were not accounted for by the Bureau on the individuals' account.

Some loans were for persons who already closed their accounts, some were in repayment and some were in arrears.

Forty of the accounts amounted to nearly $1.2 million.

Other significant findings pointed to what the Inspectorate described as the lack of a reliable system to adequately and accurately track loan balances.

His Hollywood star son has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately - now Mel Gibson's father has left people reeling with an outrageous radio outburst.

The Braveheart actor's father, Hutton Gibson - a devout Catholic like his son - has reportedly blasted the Vatican and labelled Pope Benedict XVI as 'gay' on a US radio show.

According to gossip website TMZ.com, Gibson senior rang Stateside radio talk show the Political Cesspool Radio Program, which is broadcast on the Liberty News network, during which he's asked if the Catholic Church was addressing issues such as homosexuality.

The 91 year-old responded: 'It's not willing to do so because half of the people there in the Vatican are queer.'

When asked if he thinks Pope Benedict is gay, Hutton replies: 'I certainly do... why else would he put up with this?... He's a slippery character.'

In January Beyoncé announced that she was taking a well deserved break from showbusiness. 'It's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries,' she said at the time. 'I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again.'

But this week she has re-emerged on the scene with a bang, announcing the release of her new single Why Don't You Love Me on August 29th, and starring in the new advertising campaign for her Dereon fall fashion line.

The singer is almost unrecognisable in a platinum wig and covered in tattoos. She has described the new campaign as '1960s pin-up girl meets futuristic biker chick.'

Beyoncé appears to have embraced one of the top trends of 2010: body art. First seen in the Spring Summer 2010 Chanel ready-to-wear show, temporary tattoos have been a hit with celebrities over summer.

But in true Beyoncé style, she has taken it to the next level with customised artwork covering her legs, arms and back. The tattoos include chains, spiders, wings, skulls and what appears to be a spine that runs the length of her back.

After completing an incredible 110 city tour for I Am... Sasha Fierce in 2009, the hard-working Single Ladies singer decided to to take an extended break from work.

'When I got home,' she told USA Today in January, 'I wrote out a contract with myself. I made a list of everything I want to do that has nothing to do with music.

'Well, some of it does. But I promised myself that I would not go back on tour or in the studio until I finished these things.'

Her to-do list included: 'random things. I want to go to restaurants, maybe take a class, see some movies and Broadway shows,' and spending time with five-year-old nephew, Daniel.

But she didn't exactly stick to her 'contract', returning briefly in March to record and film a video for Telephone with Lady Gaga. The epic clip, which was banned from several TV stations for its explicit content, has received over 74.4 million hits on YouTube.

But working in the middle of her self-imposed holiday has paid off for the savvy star, as the video has earned her five MTV Video Music Awards nominations.

Beyoncé and Gaga have earned nods in the best pop video, female video, collaboration, choreography and art direction categories in the awards show to be held September 12th.

A new superbug could spread around the world after reaching Britain from India -- in part because of medical tourism -- and scientists say there are almost no drugs to treat it.

Researchers said on Wednesday they had found a new gene called New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1, in patients in South Asia and in Britain.

NDM-1 makes bacteria highly resistant to almost all antibiotics, including the most powerful class called carbapenems, and experts say there are no new drugs on the horizon to tackle it.

With international travel in search of cheaper healthcare increasing, particularly for procedures such as cosmetic surgery, Timothy Walsh, who led the study, said he feared the new superbug could soon spread across the globe.

"At a global level, this is a real concern," Walsh, from Britain's Cardiff University, said in telephone interview.

"Because of medical tourism and international travel in general, resistance to these types of bacteria has the potential to spread around the world very, very quickly. And there is nothing in the (drug development) pipeline to tackle it."

Almost as soon as the first antibiotic penicillin was introduced in the 1940s, bacteria began to develop resistance to its effects, prompting researchers to develop many new generations of antibiotics.

But their overuse and misuse have helped fuel the rise of drug-resistant "superbug" infections like methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).

In a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Wednesday, Walsh's team found that NDM-1 is becoming more common in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan and is also being imported back to Britain in patients returning after treatment.

"India also provides cosmetic surgery for other Europeans and Americans, and it is likely NDM-1 will spread worldwide," the scientists wrote in the study.

"CINDERELLA" BUSINESS

For many years, antibiotic research has been a "Cinderella" sector of the pharmaceuticals industry, reflecting a mismatch between the scientific difficulty of finding treatments and the modest sales such products are likely to generate, since new drugs are typically saved only for the sickest patients.

But the increasing threat from superbugs is encouraging a rethink at the few large drugmakers still actively hunting for new antibiotics, including Pfizer, Merck, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis.

Most worryingly, NDM-1-producing bacteria are resistant to many antibiotics including carbapenems, the scientists said, a class of the drugs often reserved for emergency use and to treat infections caused by other multi-resistant bugs like MRSA and C-Difficile.

Anders Ekblom, global head of medicines development at AstraZeneca, whose Merrem antibiotic is the leading carbapenem, said he saw "great value" in investing in new antibiotics.

"We've long recognized the growing need for new antibiotics, he said. "Bacteria are continually developing resistance to our arsenal of antibiotics and NDM1 is just the latest example."

Experts commenting on Walsh's findings said it was important to be alert to the new bug and start screening for it early.

"If this emerging public health threat is ignored, sooner or later the medical community could be confronted with carbapenem-resistant (bacteria) that cause common infections, resulting in treatment failures with substantial increases in health-care costs," Johann Pitout from the University of Calgary in Canada wrote in a commentary in same journal.

Yesterday's sacking of the Students Loan Bureau (SLB) head, Lenice Barnett, will be explained today, government sources have confirmed.

This, amidst charges by oppostion spokesman on education, Senator Basil Waite, that Barnett's firing was an attempt to muzzle her in light of her recent utterance that tertiary fees could be doubled within the next two years.

Senator Waite further claimed that her dismissal is an attempt by the government to sanitise the SLB in order to quietly implement new policies.

However,the state minister for finance, Senator Arthur Williams, has dismissed the suggestion as careless and reckless.

According to Senator Williams, Barnett was fired as the SLB head because of the findings of a report which was submitted at the end of July and not because of he rstatement.

A temporary manager will take over the operations of the SLB today and more information will be given on the details on the findings of the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) audit.

There have been suggestions that Barnett was sacked because the audit found serious, systemic and governance problems.

According to Senator Williams, the audit report also raised grave concerns about the rate of staff turnover at the SLB.

He says in two-and-a-half years, of the 76 people employed at the SLB, 46 have been separated from their jobs.

In six years, the head of the accounts department has been changed six times.

The killers of a 27-year-old man who was gunned down yesterday while at a bar at the Naggo Head Transportation Centre in St Catherine remain at large.

The man, Kenroy Brown popularly called 'Ruggu' was reportedly shot several times and died on the spot. According to the Catherine South Police, sometime after 11 a.m., a car drove into the park and its occupants got out and fired shots, after which they fled the scene.

Police investigations continue, but no motive has yet been established for the killing.

Fantasia Barrino’s manager released a statement saying the singer’s overdose Monday night was caused by a combination of aspirin and a sleep aid.

According to the statement reported by TMZ, Fantasia ingested the medication after feeling “overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention” surrounding her relationship with married boyfriend Antwaun Cook.

“Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized. She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid.

Her injuries are not life threatening,” the statement read. “She was dehydrated and exhausted at the time.

Fantasia is stable now. She will be released from the hospital soon.”

Addressing the sex scandal, the rep also explains that Fantasia “believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.”

Fantasia’s manager also stated: “Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.”

In a terse statement on Tuesday, the Finance Minister announced that the services of Dr. Barnett have been terminated, with immediate effect.

The statement did not divulge the circumstances which led to Dr. Barnett's dismissal, however, Mr. Shaw says it follows a meeting with Andrew Cocking, Chairman of the SLB's Board of Directors.

The Finance Minister has scheduled a meeting with the board for Wednesday morning.

It is expected that a temporary Manager will be in Dr. Barnett's seat as of Wednesday.

Mr. Shaw says this process of transition is being undertaken to ensure that the work of the Bureau proceeds smoothly, until a new Executive Director is appointed.

Sources have it that her firing could be coming from statements made to telling the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAC) that tertiary-level students could face a staggering 100% increase in tuition fees in the 2011-2012 academic year.

This it is said reportedly rattled senior members of the Golding administration.

She told members of the Committee that the average tuition could double by 2011-2012, which means that fees would soar close to $500,000 per annum in less than two years.

The revelation reportedly did not go down well in the Bruce Golding administration.

A day after the Parliamentary revelations, Education Minister, Andrew Holness, hastily called a press conference in what appeared to be a rejection of the SLB head's claims.

Mr. Holness tried to allay fears that tuition fees at tertiary institutions would spike next year, arguing that while an increase is expected, the Government did not intend to slash its subsidy overnight.

Can you imagine your job is to pick up dead and take back to your funeral home and now the workers of one funeral home in Clarendon are now fearing the worst where two of their colleagues are concerned.

Workers at the Phillips and Son Funeral Home in Denbigh are fast losing hope that two of their co-workers who went missing on Monday night after receiving a call to pick up a corpse in Old Harbour, St Catherine, will be found alive.

The workers' hopes were dampened after news broke late yesterday evening that two bodies were found in a section of St Catherine with hands and feet bound and gunshot wounds to their heads. The bodies were reportedly clad in the uniforms of the funeral home.

Pearnel Watson (left) and Damion Watson... both missing
The police were last evening unable to confirm that the bodies were those of the two funeral home workers.

"We know of the bodies but we cannot confirm their identities," a cop at the Guanabovale Police Station told the Observer last night.

Dear one, I am praying for you today. You may be someone I have known for a long time or someone I just met, but regardless, I know you are divine in nature, a beloved creation of a loving God.

As I think of you, I envision perfection in mind, body and spirit. The presence of God within enables you to make wise choices and to heal in every way. God's abundance is in the very essence of your being. I envision you having everything you need to fulfill your hopes and desires.

I pray for you, and I release any need for a particular outcome. I know that all good things are possible for you and the people you care about, and for this, I give thanks.

We always pray for you, asking that our God will ... fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith.--2 Thessalonians 1:11

The operators of Renaissance Disco would like to apologize to its many patrons, for the inconvenience experienced at its 21st anniversary party the Blackjack Edition.

The party which was well attended took place at the Palisadoes Go Kart Track in Kingston. In an apology issued to the media, Delano Thomas of Renaissance Disco explained.

‘We would like to apologize to the patrons for the wet conditions at the venue, which was caused by a high tide which flooded the venue.

Because of this we had to shut down all generators to avoid electrical damage to equipment and human safety’.

Added Thomas ‘We almost postponed the party at last minute but the tide started to recede and we decided to go ahead with the party.

It took us some amount of time to set up the venue and to do clean up operations. This caused a delay in the opening of the gates and resulted in a long line at the entrance of the venue’.

In closing Thomas said ‘We at Renaissance value our patrons and thank them for their continued support over the years. We promise to continue to deliver quality entertainment and an enjoyable and comfortable atmosphere for our loyal patrons’.

A plane carrying former Sen. Ted Stevens and ex-NASA chief Sean O'Keefe crashed into a remote mountainside in Alaska, killing the longtime senator and at least four others, authorities said Tuesday.

O'Keefe and his teenage son survived the crash with broken bones and other injuries, former NASA spokesman Glenn Mahone said. The O'Keefes spent Monday night on the mountain with several volunteers who discovered the wreckage and tended to the injured until rescuers arrived Tuesday morning.

Stevens and O'Keefe are longtime fishing buddies who had been planning a trip near where the float plane crashed.

The crash was a stunning event in a state where Stevens became the most beloved political figure in Alaska history during his 40 years in the Senate, earning a reputation as a tireless advocate for projects that brought billions of federal dollars to the state. He was 86.

The plane crashed into a brush- and rock-covered mountainside sometime Monday night, authorities said. Volunteer pilots were dispatched to the area around 7 p.m. local time after the plane was found to be overdue at its destination, and they came upon the wreckage about a half hour later.

The weather soon took a turn for the worse, with heavy fog, clouds and rain blanketing the area and making it impossible for rescuers to arrive until after daybreak Tuesday. O'Keefe, his son, and two others were flown to the hospital.

The bodies of Stevens and the other four victims remained at the scene Tuesday, investigators said at a briefing in Juneau. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but the flights at Dillingham are often perilous through the mountains, even in good weather.

Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt is calling it quits for 2010, cutting his season short because of tightness in his lower back less than a week after losing in the 100 meters to American rival Tyson Gay.

Bolt's manager, Ricky Simms, wrote in an e-mail Tuesday that the world record-holder at 100 and 200 meters will have treatment to loosen his back and then rest, skipping IAAF Diamond League track and field meets in Zurich on Aug. 19, and Brussels on Aug. 27.

"I am very disappointed to miss two of the top meetings on the circuit ... but trust that it is better for me not to take any risks this year," Bolt said, according to Simms. "2011 and 2012 are very important Championship years and I hope to be back fully fit and healthy. I would like to thank everyone for their support and look forward to coming back stronger next year."

Simms said Bolt was examined Monday by a doctor in Munich who found the back problem.

"He has a tightness that restricts his ability to generate power in his stride and continuing to race in this condition could risk injury to his hamstrings or calf muscles," Simms wrote.

Bolt's manager said the decision to take a break was made "with a view to his future career."

Simms also said that an MRI exam showed that a previous left Achilles' tendon injury is healed.

Bolt hadn't lost an individual race in two years until Friday, when Gay beat him at the DN Galan meet in Stockholm. Gay ran 9.84 seconds, and Bolt finished in 9.97.

Veteran reggae artiste Beres Hammond will headline a peace concert in the US Virgin Islands this year.

The “How Can We Ease the Pain” Peace Concert is slated for October 234 at the Randall ‘Doc’ James Racetrack in St. Croix.

Shawn Baptiste, a promoter for the event, says he is happy that Hammond, the king of lovers’ rock, agreed to come on board and will be gracing the stage at the concert.

Baptiste says very few artistes exemplify peace and love through their body of music like Beres Hammond and it is with that in mind that he believes the event will be a wonderful experience for all who attend.

Hammond will be performing classics such as How, Tempted to Touch, Putting up Resistance, Can We Ease the Pain as well as recent hits such as Rockaway and I Feel Good.

The organisers of the concert say they will be using the event to bring people together in a safe environment in which they can celebrate love, life and peace.

International Dancehall Queen was exactly that - a blend of almost every continent coming to montego Bay to show what they can do. contestants came from as far as Japan, France, Poland, Canada and the US to compete for Jamaica's most prestigious dancehall title.

Dancehall Queen is in its 13th year and keeps growing, especially on the global scene. First prize winners went home with $400,000 JA(approx 5,000 US), second place took home 250,000 JA (approx 3,500 US) and third place was awarded 150,000 (approx 1,800 US).

The winners hails from Montego Bay and surprisingly entered the competition just four days before and still took home title. Second place went to Miss Japan who also was awarded the title of best costume.

For all of the exclusive Dancehall Queen footage click on the video below. To view more, click on the story itself or visit www.youtube.com/yardflextv

The first book of the patois version of the Holy Bible goes on sale today.

The creative minds behind the controversial project to translate the Bible into patois -- and which is costing millions of dollars -- launched the Book of Luke in patois yesterday at the Portmore Gospel Assembly in Passagefort.

The service was conducted in the Jamaican creole and the Bible Society of Jamaica seems pleased with their project. There will be a public education drive to sensitize the public and help them to read the patois Bible.

The expected completion date of the entire Bible into Jamaican Creole is 2012, to coincide with Jamaica 50 Independence celebrations.
The entire Patois Bible is expected to be completed in 2012 when Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary as an independent nation.

The Bible Society said it hopes to that the project will inspire Christians to be more "confident and mature" in their faith, as some are still challenged to worship in a way that is culturally relevant and authentic.

Everybody know seh Pamputtae proud a har tickness and har agility, but people, there's more to Pamputtae than that.

Under all that fluffiness and cartwheels and talking up di tings dem, lies a heart that just loves children. Di goodie goodie girl had a ball wid di pickney dem inna Sunny Hill innna St Thomas wha day yah.

She gi a performance dat when she done everybdoy did haffi ask if a she a di new Sunday school teacher -- no slackness -- har lyrics did clean as a whistle. She was di host and di pickney dem just love har.

All when dem a ask Pamputtae fi sing Goodie Goodie, she tell dem no and just go inna one song whey seh Jusus a fi mi obeah man.

We haffi big up di artiste dem when dem show di caring side and memba seh dem have influence pon di pickney dem. Pamputtae, yuh really know what it mean to be a goodas. Fluffy to di flippin' werlll!

All of a sudden the Docta and the Killa turn best friend? After dem spen so much years a war wid each odder over the music, den a in between dat a whole new war did bruk out ova D'Angel, and now the two a dem a look a new type a hype offa each dder.

And di odda night a di two a dem again pon stage together ova Fully Loaded and a gwaan like dem waan tek ova di show. And last night (Sunday) it was di two a dem again ova Little Miss Bus Ride a James Bond Beach. Dem draw bare ole tune and mash up di place.

Filmmaker Spike Lee is calling a "lie" a U.S. government report that 75 percent of the spilled Gulf Coast oil is gone.

Speaking to a meeting of the Television Critics Association on Saturday, Lee said journalists should expose what he called the real story.

He argued that it's unlikely that "abracadabra, presto chango" the vast majority of the oil has vanished from Gulf of Mexico waters and coastal wetlands.

Federal scientists said last week that nearly three-quarters of the oil has been removed by various artificial or natural means, but that the spill's effect on wildlife will long continue.

Lee was promoting his new documentary about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise," a follow-up to his 2006 film about the hurricane, debuts Aug. 23 and 24 on HBO.

149 cops were kicked out from its ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force between January and July this year in what it admitted was an aggressive and ongoing campaign to rid the police force of cops who continued to operate unprofessionally.

Head of the Anti-Corruption Branch, Assistant Commissioner Justin Felice yesterday said the number of cops dismissed in the first seven months of the year was close to the number given marching orders for the entire 2009.

A police news release yesterday said that 34 of the dismissals were effected last month.

According to the news release, between January and July, 105 cops were not permitted to re-enlist, 26 were retired in the public interest, and 18 were cashiered as a result of corruption.

Another 21 cops have been charged with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act and are now before the courts.

One gazetted officer, four sergeants and one special sergeant were listed among 36 cops arrested for corruption breaches. Also arrested were three corporals, 19 constables, one special corporal, six special constables, and one district constable.

$10 m is what it will be costing tw men charged with possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export ganja and conspiracy to export ganja to receive bail with one or two sureties. This was thrown at them when they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last Tuesday.

Sixty-two-year-old businessmen Leopold Bromley and Donald Davis were offered bail by Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey on condition that they report to the Narcotics Police on Mondays between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Both men are charged along with 32-year-old Oneil Seabourne, 35-year-old Nigel Seabourne, 38-year-old Mark Dobney, 34-year-old Michael Rodney, and 43-year-old Errol Tyrell, all of Red Hills addresses in St Andrew. The men, who were previously released on $500,000 bail, are facing similar charges and their bails were extended.

The men were arrested during a police operation on June 23 at a factory on Ken Hill Drive, Pembroke Hall, in Kingston where police said they found the drugs during a search.

The police reported that on their arrival they saw the accused men loading bottles of cranberry water, which was destined for South Africa, on to a 40-foot container.

For all those who used to maintain their ‘healthy habit’ at Mandela Park, they will have to find other alternatives as the park will be closed to the public for a month as of today for refurbishing.

The public park, which up to two years ago was a haven for numerous homeless persons and drug addicts, is to receive a facelift by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Parks and Gardens Division.

The facelift will include the planting of new flowers, painting of the facility, as well as infrastructural work to the bathrooms and the perimeter walls to prevent persons from scaling them to vandalise the park.

The first Magnum Queen winner in 2008, will be returning to the classroom full-time in September when she will be pursuing a degree in Communication Arts and Technology at UTech.

The resolute dancehall artiste said she has taken the decision to balance her entertainment career with a sound education.

"I plan to go back to school because persons know education is the way to go. People know music is unpredictable.

It is not a joyride or a bed of roses. I am not a quitter, but I am not the kind of person who will sit around and when I reach 30, I am still trying to get out there," declared Baby Tash.

"Also, I am spontaneous and I love to have options and like to know I can do what I want to do whenever I want to do it. I am just opening up more avenues for myself in regards to a career path".

Baby Tash said she took a break from studying in 2005 as she was having difficulty juggling work at Dehring, Bunting and Golding where she was employed as a human resource assistant; and classes at UTech.

In 2006 she accepted an offer to work as an entertainment co-ordinator at Sandals Montego Bay.

It was while she was at Sandals Montego Bay that she entered the Magnum Kings and Queen competition and came out as the top female. Singer Jah was crowned the Magnum King.

Fifty-year-old, seven-time Olympic sprinter Merlene Ottey surprised many last week when she appeared at the European championships.

Her appearance in Barcelona made her the oldest person to compete in the championships.

We have to big up our Jamaican queen for her persistence and determination in going at it after all this time. Merlene should be an example to all that nothing should stand in your way when it comes to trying to reach the stars.

Bernie Mac’s widow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Chicago against the late comedian’s longtime doctor.

Rhonda McCullough alleges that a few weeks before Mac’s 2008 death, dermatologist Rene M. Earles did not recognize signs of respiratory failure and kept the 50-year-old Chicago native at his clinic for several hours rather than call an ambulance to take him to a hospital.

Earles tells the Chicago Sun-Times he treated Mac that day. He says Mac appeared weak, had a low-grade fever and a rash.

He says after Mac told him another doctor had given him an injection for a cold, he called Mac’s doctor and was told Mac had been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

Earles says he immediately advised Mac to go to a hospital and that Mac was taken to one in a chauffer-driven car.

The daughter of Matrix star Laurence Fishburne was once arrested for prostitution, according to court documents.

Fishburne is currently causing a stir with a release of a porn tape with adult entertainment company Vivid Entertainment.

But now is has also been revealed that Montana Fishburne, 19, was arrested for prostitution in November 2009 and is still on probation from her conviction.

The documents from the Los Angeles Superior Court show Fishburne was arrested on November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, in the 'Hollywood area' on a violation of California Penal Code 647(b), which prohibits prostitution or solicitation.

After two continuances, Fishburne pleaded nolo contendre (no contest) and was sentenced to 104 hours toward the California beautification project, 15 days of community service, an AIDS test, STD education, and two years probation.

The last page lists her current status as 'On Probation' as her probation time was listed as 24 months.

As part of her probation she must also abide by these rules: 'Do not offer to engage and do not engage in any form of sexual activity for money or any other consideration.

Seeking fame: Montana hopes to find stardom through a new porn video

Neither Fishburne or her actor father have made any comment on the arrest. (Source: Mail online)

Michelle Obama faced a fresh wave of attacks over her lavish break in Spain with 40 friends, which could reportedly cost US taxpayers £50,000 a day.

The First Lady has been criticised for her extravagance at a time when the US economy is still struggling. And her critics will have a lot more to say when they learn that the president's wife had a Spanish beach closed off Thursday so that she, her daughter and their entourage could go for a swim.

Spanish police cleared off a stretch of beach at the Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella after the Obamas had finished a busy day of sightseeing.

Cordoned off: Police officers keep onlookers away from the site where US First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha are staying at the Beach Club of Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella

It is unclear whether the police presence was paid for by Spain - or whether an invoice could be landing in the lap of the American taxpayer.

The exact cost of the trip is unclear as Mrs Obama, 46, and her friends are footing personal expenses themselves.

For a start, they will be paying for the 60 rooms booked at the 129-room Hotel Villa Padierna. With basic rooms starting around £380 each, the nightly bill will be no less than £22,800. Meals will also be picked up by the Obamas and friends.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo detailed the Obamas' dinner on their first night in Spain. The meal cost about £40 a head, according to El Mundo - which means a bill topping £1,600 would have hit the table if all 40 friends dined together.

Stretched over five nights that's £8,000 for dinner alone.

Whether or not the taxpaying American will be paying for meals, they will definitely be footing the bill for the First Lady's 68-strong security detail, her personal staff - and the use of presidential jet Air Force Two.

The per diems for the secret service team runs at around £172 each, which amounts to nearly £60,000 for the length of the summer break.Use of Air Force Two, the Air Force version of a 757, comes in at £91,900 for the round trip. This does not include time on the ground.Mrs Obama's personal staff, of which there are an unknown number and who might cost considerably more per day, also have to be taken into account.

The American public will also cover the cost of the only official part of the holiday, a visit to the Spanish royal family on the island of Majorca.

This will involve transport there and back for the entourage - as well as travel, accommodation, food and expenses for all while on the island. Conservative estimates already put the total cost at £150,000. With Majorca to come, the bill will be more like £250,000.

People had turned out in their hundreds to welcome the American First Lady and her daughter. A crowd of several hundred people shouted 'Obama!' and 'guapa!' (beautiful) as the Obamas entered the cathedral with a large security detail in tow. The party also had time for ice cream in the main street Gran Via.

Mrs Obama later attended a flamenco performance by Juan Andres Maya where other members of the audience were delighted when she tried out some dance moves at the end.

The First Lady was surrounded by burly Secret Service agents as hundreds of locals sought to catch a glimpse of her in the Costa del Sol resort.

Wearing black trousers, a black and white top and dark sunglasses, the 46-year-old walked through Marbella's cobbled streets, nipping into a number of shops before having dinner in an Andalusian restaurant.

Mrs Obama arrived by plane at Malaga airport on Wednesday morning and was driven in a 14-car convoy to the five star Hotel Villa Padierna, where her entourage has reserved 60 of the 129 rooms. She told owner Ricardo Arranz she had come to 'relax and unwind'.

The hotel is nestled in the hills overlooking Marbella, and at 6.30pm she and nine-year-old Sasha were driven to the historic centre for their shopping trip.

Locals and British expats and holidaymakers crammed the streets or leaned out from balconies to get the best shot of the First Lady on their cameras. Some even climbed orange trees to get a better look.

Reports are that United States Ambassador-Designate to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater Awkard, has moved one step closer to confirmation, with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee giving her the nod of approval.

This should pave the way for Bridgewater Awkard to move to Kingston later this year as the top US diplomat in Jamaica.

The Senate is expected to rubber-stamp the nomination when it returns from its summer break next month.

Bridgewater Awkard has been nominated by US President Barack Obama to fill the vacancy created when Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson ended her tour of duty in January 2009.

Bridgewater Awkard is a career member of the Foreign Service with the rank of minister.

She has served since 2008 as a senior inspector in the Office of the Inspector General and has served as ambassador to Benin and Ghana.

The career diplomat has served in Belgium, Jamaica, South Africa and The Bahamas.

The shooting death of Ian 'Ching Sing' Lloyd by the police in Old Buckfield, Ocho Rios, St Ann on July 29 remains topical.

On Thursday, a police constable, whose identity is still being protected, was been released from police lock-up. No charges have been laid against him.

The commissioner had ordered last week that the two policemen involved in the beating and shooting of Lloyd should be arrested.

The constable’s attorney on Thursday filed a writ of habeas corpus in the St Ann's Bay Resident Magistrate's Court to have him released or charged. The cop was released shortly after.

The constable was caught on an amateur video using what resembled a baton to strike the hands of Lloyd who was lying on the ground. Another cop in the video-taped beating/shooting incident is still in police custody.

Lloyd, the murder suspect in the stabbing death of Loveta 'Cherry' Wilson who was killed earlier that day, died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, the post-mortem report showed.

"It is so unfortunate that Sean Penn is unaware of Wyclef's magnificent commitment to the people of Haiti and his independence.

His campaign has nothing to do with corporate or special interests and everything to do with his calling and belief he can lead and make a difference.

Some of Mr. Penn's comments seemed so out of sorts that those close to Wyclef worried about Mr. Penn, who has also done important, life-saving, inspirational work for the people of Haiti.

This is a time to think productively about solutions and long-term strategies to rebuild, not to insult anyone who dares to care. Haiti needs everyone to collaborate for a 21st century safe, productive nation.."

"It is unfortunate that Sean Penn is unaware of Wyclef's magnificent commitment to the people of Haiti and his independence. His campaign has nothing to do with corporate or special interests and everything to do with his calling and belief he can lead and make a difference.

Some of Mr. Penn's comments seemed so out of sorts that those close to Wyclef worried about Mr. Penn, who has also done important, life-saving, inspirational work for the people of Haiti.

This is a time to think productively about solutions and long-term strategies to rebuild, not to insult anyone who dares to care. Haiti needs everyone to collaborate for a 21st century safe, productive nation.."

Sean Penn has criticized Wyclef Jean for stepping into Haiti's presidential race, insisting the former Fugees star has been "a non-presence" in aid efforts following the country's devastating earthquake.

The Oscar-winning actor has made several trips to the nation in the wake of the January quake and has become heavily involved in charity efforts to help the survivors.

But Penn isn't impressed with the news that Jean is campaigning to become the country's next leader and he is convinced the allegations that the star misused money donated to his Yele Haiti Foundation will come back to haunt him.

Penn says, "He has been virtually silent for those of us in Haiti, he has been a non-presence. His voice has really been most loudly that which allegedly (sic) has taken over 400,000 dollars designated for Haitian relief for himself and claims he didn't do it. That has to be looked into."

"I've been there. I know what $400,000 could do for these people's lives and for a 24-year-old girl right now who is dying.

"So, I want to see someone who is really, really willing to sacrifice for their country and not just someone who I personally saw with a vulgar entourage of vehicles that demonstrated a wealth in Haiti that, in context, I felt (was) a very obscene demonstration."

Harsh criticism is being meted out against US first lady Michelle Obama’s four-day "private trip" to Spain with her 9-year-old daughter, Sasha and several Obama family friends.

The price of the trip, which includes stay at the luxury Hotel Villa Padierna, a Ritz-Carlton property often described as one of the world's top 10 hotels. Rates range between $500 and $2,500 a night.

Michelle Obama is being criticised “for taking such a glitzy vacation while most of the country is struggling to make ends meet”.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that the first lady will pay her personal expenses — as will the friends who are traveling with her.

But that only covers a small part of the ultimate expense, given that she has full-time Secret Service protection and has to travel with an entourage of staff. That cost, as well as her travel on board an official Air Force charter plane, is covered by taxpayers.

According to Fox News prior to the first lady's arrival, the State Department had issued a travel warning to Americans advising that "racist prejudices could lead to the arrest of Afro-Americans who travel to Spain."

The wording was reportedly removed from the State Department website Monday, ahead of Michelle Obama's arrival in the country Wednesday.

As the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet reports, by the end of the summer, the first lady will have taken eight vacations.

That includes a June trip to Los Angeles, where she and her daughters attended the NBA Finals, as well as an upcoming trip to the Florida Gulf Coast next weekend and a 10-day visit to Martha's Vineyard later this month with the president.

Asafa Powell's injury may have delayed the race of the season, but Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay said yesterday that they still expect a fast 100 metres race at today's Diamond League meet in Stockholm.

The three fastest men in the world were due to face each other for the first time this year at the DN Galan, but Powell withdrew on Wednesday evening after failing to shake off a lower-back injury.

"It's sad because I think people were really looking forward to the three of us (racing)," Bolt said. "But it's still going to be a quick time."

Bolt said that in the absence of Powell, he is still wary of the threat that Gay poses.

"In Jamaica a lot of people have been seeing me and saying 'you can't let Tyson beat you'," Bolt said.

Powell said that he had been looking forward to facing his close rivals again. The Jamaican said that he sustained the injury three weeks ago, and is unsure when he will be able to compete again next.
"Since the start of the year, this was the race that I've been looking out for," Powell said. "I've been very excited about it, so I'm very disappointed because I want to go out there and run against Usain and Tyson."

Gay said that he had mentally prepared himself to face both of the Jamaicans in the 100 final at the ancient Olympic stadium.
"It put a little dampener on it, but it's just as big a race," Gay said. "I know I'm going to need to run my best to even be in the camera shot."
Olympic champion Bolt and Powell share this season's best time of 9.82 seconds.

Bolt set the current world record of 9.58 the last time the three met on the track, at the World Championships in Berlin last August.

As well as his performances, Bolt's reputation as a showman has made him a huge draw in the Scandinavian capital. Hundreds of fans waited for hours at a city park to catch a glimpse of the Jamaican when he signed autographs for local children at an athletics clinic on Wednesday.

Yardflex had the opportunity to catch up with Freddie McGregor for a little one on one over at his Big Ship Studio. Freddie discussed topics such as the industry at large, new artists, promoting and his success in the business over the years.

For a look at the exclusive Yardflex interview from ‘Mr. Bigship’ check out the video below:

Popular dancehall artiste Wayne Marshall recently announced his intention to collaborate with British singer Estelle for the remix of his latest hit song "My Heart".

Wayne Marshall says he is amazed by how well received the single has been since its release.>

He says Estelle fell in love with the song after he sent her the track way before a video was created.>

According to him, after seeing the music video for the song, Estelle sent him her tracks to be a part of the song's remix version.>

The song is currently being mixed and will be out before the end of the summer.>

Estelle is a British R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.>

In 2009, she won a Grammy Award for American Boy featuring Kanye West in the category for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, received the MOBO award for 'Best Newcomer' and received three consecutive 'Best Female Artist' trophies from the UK Hip-Hop Awards. >

Today, Jamaica celebrates it’s 48th birthday of independence and as Yardflex reflects we wonder just what has changed?

Coming out of the Tivoli Gardens upheaval and the State of Emergency it is clear that we still have a long way to go in controlling crime and getting this country to a crime free status.

The sad state of the economy with many losing their jobs, businesses down, makes you wonder after 48 years where is the real growth.

But today, let’s not think about the negatives, think about what the country has accomplished. We have some of the greatest athletes in the world, live among world class citizens and it’s still a beautiful place to be.

Let’s celebrate by being a part of the various activities across the country today and in the midst of it all breathe a word of prayer for the leaders and the people of this beautiful nation.

Di man invite di media out fi come a him album release party a Pollyana Caterers and di invitation sey 6:30 pm. Well thru wi done know how dem tan and love start late wi reach bout 7:30 and mi almost duh one about turn when wi realize si about three a wi inna di venue.

But when ti touch 9:35 yuh know a who cut – mi! A ediot ting him kip up wid media, a time fi wi stop support dem deh kinda almshouse. When people call press conference and nuh member fi turn up on time dem fi come si one empty place. Straight!

Sexy Paul and 'Gummy Bear', both of whom are reportedly linked to Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke’s Presidential Clik organisation, are to be charged with murder and gun-related offences, the police confirm.

The duo was pointed out in and identification parade in connection with the murder of a district constable whose body was found in a shallow grave in Tivoli during the recent incursion in June.

‘Gummy Bear’, whose real name is Colin Man of Christopher Road, Denham Town and Derrick Pathway in Tivoli Gardens, and Paul Ignatius Williams, otherwise called ‘Sexy Paul’, 51-year-old bus operator of Levy Pathway, Tivoli Gardens, were pointed out on an identification parade at the Major Investigation Taskforce yesterday.

,

They will be formally charged later today for murder and gun-related charges, said police in a statement this morning.

Man and Williams were persons of interest since the discovery of the body of district constable Kevin Paul Bartley, 32. Bartley was attached to the Half-Way-Tree Police station since 2005.

His body was found by Jamaica Defence Force soldiers who were patrolling an area in Tivoli Gardens known as ‘Rasta City'.

A post mortem revealed that death was caused by gunshot injuries. The MIT launched a probe into the circumstances and the suspects were taken into custody.

The following roads will be closed to ensure the easy flow of traffic for the staging of the Independence Grand Gala 48th Anniversary celebration on Friday, August 6.

Before the event the following roads will be operated as one-way:

Arthur Wint Drive from Tom Redcam Drive to the National Stadium.

Upper section of Arthur Wint Drive from Mountain View Avenue to access the general car park located along Arthur Wint Drive.

Roosevelt Avenue will be operated as a two-way

Stanton Terrace to Arthur Wint Drive will be used for VIP's to access Gate E2.

Arthur Wint Drive to Stanton Terrace through Mountain View Avenue for access by the JUTC buses and other vehicles using the general car park.

Arthur Wint Drive - there will be no through way along Arthur Wint Drive from Roosevelt Avenue to Mountain View Avenue.

Arthur Wint Drive will be barricaded at the junction with Roosevelt Avenue and below Gate E4 above the main entrance leading to the National Stadium.

Mountain View Avenue/Arthur Wint Drive will be used as a police checkpoint. Only vehicles transporting patrons will be allowed to turn from Mountain View Avenue onto Arthur Wint Drive. All other vehicles, including JUTC buses will continue along Mountain View Avenue.

Stanton Terrace/Roosevelt Avenue will be used as a police checkpoint, only VIP's with stickers to access Gate E2 will be allowed beyond this point by way of Roosevelt Avenue, JUTC buses and other vehicles will be diverted onto Stanton Terrace through Mountain View Avenue.

ENTRY POINTS

Media personnel will enter through Gate E10 from Nannyville.
General Public will travel along Mountain View Avenue to access Arthur Wint Drive to enter the car park at Gates E4-E8 respectively.

Statute Road front of the swimming pool and the front section of the National Stadium will be used as parking areas for VIPS and OFFICIALS.

Designated areas adjacent to the swimming pool and the

General car park.
NO PARKING

No parking will be allowed along the following roads:

Arthur Wint Drive

Roosevelt Avenue

Stanton Terrace

Mountain View Avenue between Nannyville to Old Hope Road

Lathan Avenue

North Avenue

EMERGENCY EXIT

Statue Road will be operated as the emergency exit.
AFTER THE EVENT

The following roads will be used a one-way after the event:

Arthur Wint Drive from the Stadium to Tom Redcam Drive.

Roosevelt Avenue from the Stadium to Stanton Terrace

Lathan Avenue from Roosevelt Avenue to Old Hope Road

Vehicles occupying the upper section of the car park will use the upper section of Arthur Wint Drive to exit.
N.B. All persons attending the event should park at the designated areas. Motorists are prohibited from parking on sidewalks, to allow free passage to pedestrians.
Motorists are advised to obey the directives of the police, to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

Late on a quiet summer evening, I look at the stars and feel the deep serenity of the night sky. My thoughts fall away. I am serene and still within my soul. The vast universe is constant, yet ever-changing, expanding in perfect order--and so am I.

At times it may feel as if my life is changing too fast. So when I need to reconnect with peace and serenity, I go within to the stillness that awaits my awareness.

In the quiet of meditation, I feel at one with God. I feel love and a deep sense of purpose.

I allow myself to imagine all that I can be, knowing that all things needed for my success are provided. From my place of inner stillness, I begin anew, assured that all is well.

We love how Reneto never mince words when him a chat bout the policeman dem who kill the man inna Ochi just so.

Adams tell the people dem at the Lions Club lunch Wednesday that the shooting incident was di most heinous, barbaric, despicable and reprehensible police action him ever see inna recent and modern history.

All now people cyan stop talk bout the incident and a wonder how often the police dem go to work like dat and just kill off people so-so so.

We hope the man who have di videotap-e nuh badda ketch him fraid now that police a look fi him. My yute, mek sure you keep a copy and watch yuh back!

The cost of launching Oprah Winfrey's TV network OWN is set to soar beyond its $100 million budget, because broadcasting bosses have already spent three quarters of the money before its 2011 debut.

Executives at Discovery Communications invested the sum in a joint venture with Winfrey to premiere the talk show queen's new network in January.

In a newly released report on second-quarter earnings, Discovery Communications boss Brad Singer admits that the firm has so far "spent $75 million ... on investment in the Oprah Winfrey Network," three quarters of the "maximum of $100 million that we're obligated to."

And costs look set to rise, in part because the launch has been delayed twice, after previously aiming for 2009 and mid-2010.

OWN has signed deals for several new star-studded series, including "Why Not? With Shania Twain," which will follow her life on the rebound after a messy public divorce, in addition to several documentaries produced by Winfrey's celebrity pals, such as Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker and Goldie Hawn.

NEW ORLEANS – BP pumped cement into its blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, hoping to start sealing it for good a day after it forced a slow torrent of heavy mud down the broken wellhead and pushed the crude back to its underground source.

The next step in the so-called "static kill" was another bright spot as the tide appeared to be turning in the months-long battle to contain the oil, with a federal report this week indicating that only about a quarter of the spilled crude remains in the Gulf and is degrading quickly.

Even so, Joey Yerkes, a 43-year-old fisherman in Destin, Fla., said he and other boaters, swimmers and scuba divers continue to find oil and tar balls in areas that have been declared clear.

"The end to the leak is good news, but the damage has been done," Yerkes said.

If the mud plug in the blown-out well is successfully augmented with the cement, the next step involves an 18,000-foot relief well that intersects with the old well just above the vast undersea reservoir that had been losing oil freely since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded off Louisiana on April 20, killing 11 workers.

The person who used his cellular phone to videotape the recent shooting of a man in Buckfield, St Ann by members of the constabulary force is wanted by the police for questioning.

The controversial incident occurred last week and the video of the shooting was aired on local television. The video showed St Ann resident, Ian Lloyd, alias 'Ching Sing', as he was shot by the police in full view of a group of cheering residents.

The man who handed the video footage to the TV station was subsequently hailed as a hero by police commissioner Owen Ellington, and the cops arrested.

Detectives attached to the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) reported yesterday that they have recorded at least 15 statements in relation to the killing.

An autopsy has been scheduled for today to establish the cause of death.

Lloyd was accused of killing his common-law wife, Loveta Wilson, otherwise called 'Cherry', both of Buckfield, Ocho Rios.

Video footage of the policemen beating and shooting Lloyd was later circulated to the media. The cops say they also need the cellular phone he used to capture the footage.

With all the attention that has been given to the man that was slain on video the children of the woman the man killed are crying out.

In a story in the Observer the children of the late Odella Lovida 'Cherry' Wilson, the woman who was allegedly stabbed to death by the man at the centre of the video-taped beating and alleged shooting by the police in Buckfield, say their mother's death is being treated like her life had no worth.

Wilson's children made the charge against the background of the national focus on the death of their mother's ex-lover, Ian Lloyd, alias 'Ching Sing'; the condemnation of the policemen accused of his death, and the little attention being paid to their mom's death.

They said all the focus is being placed on the death of the man who had committed a horrible crime.

Wilson was allegedly stabbed several times in the neck and chest by Lloyd at about 1:30 pm on July 29 in Buckfield in Ocho Rios.

At the same time, Wilson's children believe the police's action was justified as Lloyd had taken someone's life.

They also believe the public outcry caused by the police's action would have been different if their mother's murder was also videotaped and aired on national television.

"Everyone is saying that the policeman wicked, and him shouldn't shoot the man like that but, at the same time, him no have no right to take my mother life; him have no right to get up hot-headed and just say him feel to kill somebody and kill my mother," said Wilson's child, Makeba Rodney, who is also the daughter of reggae legend, Burning Spear.

"The bible says an eye for an eye; whatever you live by is it you're going to die by, so that's the outcome of him, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; justice prevailed and I am sorry that cameraman did not take it from start to finish," said Rodney.

Her brother, Marcus Rodney, said he was also deeply hurt and saddened by the tragic and brutal manner in which his mother was killed. He said no matter the life she was living, she was human and didn't deserve to die in that manner.

"...I was trying to make it into the music so that I could help my mother. She was my mother and I loved her, no matter what she was doing, I really loved her so much," Marcus said; adding "I just glad that the man that killed my mother is dead."

"I don't like the vibes against the police [as] they are saying they killed an unarmed man; he [Ching Sing] was armed and was doing a lot of wrongs," added Marcus.

The woman's children said they were upset because no one has come out and condemned the wrong which was reportedly done that caused 'Ching Sing's death.

In the meantime, the Rodneys are appealing for financial assistance to bury their mother. They want other family members, including her other four children, with whom they have no contact, to help with her burial.

Wilson, who grew up in Trench Town, Kingston lived in several other parts of the island before settling in Buckfield.

Track star Usain Bolt made overseas headlines again with yet another reality star. Pictures of Bolt and his supposed new 'love interest' was posted on popular celebrity gossip site media takeout.com yesterday.

The website called 21-year-old reality star Lesa-Gayle 'Milan' Wee Tom Bolt's latest girlfriend as the site stated, "track superstar Usain Bolt is the most eligible bachelor on the island of Jamaica, and he's been spotted around with a number of beauties.

But a lil birdie tells MediaTakeOut.com that Usain may be ready to settle down - with a beauty queen/reality star named Milan. They make a cute couple."

The Jamaica-born Milan is no stranger to the limelight when she appeared as a cast member on BET's College Hill, a reality show that follows the lives of students at historical colleges.

She has also secured several titles in pageantry including: first runner-up - Miss Hollywood Teen USA, second runner-up Miss Jamaica Florida, second runner-up Miss Miami Tropic, queen Miss Florida Caribbean, queen Miss Jamaica Caribbean World and she also participated in Miss Caribbean World 2010 pageant and is also pursuing a modelling career.

The model was recently in Jamaica for the just concluded Dream/ATI weekend, where the pictures of her and Bolt, that are on media takeout.com, were taken.

Simpson, 24, was named Lava on the show and is originally from Portland, but now lives in Florida. Various Internet sources list her occupations as a model and make-up artist.

The thousands expected to flock the National Stadium for the Jamaica Independence Festival Grand Gala tomorrow, are asked to wear the Jamaican colours, take a flag and transform the National Stadium into a sea of bright, bold, tropical colours in celebration of Jamaica's 48th anniversary of Independence.

Culture minister, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, last week appealed to business enterprises and Government offices nationwide to fly the National Flag and include the national colours in their decorations and displays.

According to Minister Grange the colours, the flag, and other national symbols will heighten visual impact and strengthen the national spirit.

Miss Grange is also encouraging everyone to make creative use of the national colours -- black, gold and green -- in dress and fashion accessories over the seven-days of celebrations known as Jamaica Festival.

On Independence Day there will be islandwide celebrations for the entire day including street dances, the western gala in Montego Bay, the festival street parade leaving from the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre and culminating with the Grand Gala at the National Stadium.

The national Independence celebrations are being staged under the theme I Believe

Counting my blessings is a thoughtful practice, which helps me maintain an attitude of gratitude. It is good, though, to move beyond gratitude for people, places and things, to gratefulness for existence itself.

Going within, I begin by appreciating this moment of peace. Then I become grateful for simply being.

This shift in consciousness allows me to fully experience my oneness with the divine Presence, oneness with all that is. The peace I feel is expansive.

My gratitude opens wide the realization that I am more than my body, my personality, my experiences--I am an expression of the Divine.

I've been given this moment in time to exist in this world, to love and to serve, to follow my bliss. And for this, I am truly grateful.

It seems as if JLP and PNP will be getting some competition…well actually we not sure bout that yet. Another political party has been launched and this time it’s coming from child advocate Betty Ann Blaine.

The party was launched yesterday. It is the New Nation Coalition (NNC) led by Betty Ann Blaine, Convenor of children’s lobby group Hear the Children's Cry and former talk show host.

The movement was launched at the Wyndham Hotel in Kingston, Wednesday morning, as its leader and 10 founding members, gathered to tell the country its mandate.

The New Nation Coalition presents itself as a nationalist, political movement with its motto “Justice, peace and prosperity” and its message “The dawn of a new day, time to start over”.

The movement is a partnership between members of the Jamaican Diaspora as well Jamaicans here at home.

In an early declaration to all detractors, Mrs. Blaine said the NNC will survive in the political wilderness as it has as its mandate, the interest of the citizens of Jamaica.

She stressed that the movement is grounded in Christian principles and will not indulge in political mind games.

According to her, the NNC will instead focus on the social ills affecting the country such as poor family structures.

“Our movement has no intention of indulging in the blame game or in playing politics with the lives and future of the Jamaican people. Our mission and mandate is to seek solutions that are better the quality of live for all our citizens and restore the dignity and respect that is commensurate with our national and international achievements.

“We understand that if you fix family life, you fix crime and along the way, you fix almost all the other problems that beset the country,” Mrs. Blaine said.

All we can say is good luck, these voters are either for one or the other they won’t even try something new.

The Ras a cry foul! Beres Brown who was disqualified from the Digicel Rising Star competition is saying that he wasn’t liked by the powers that be. According to the Brown in a Star interview “they didn’t like me”. He said he is not a fool to have a prime chance like that to push his career and throw it all away.

The show producer claims that he was rude and disrespectful, using expletives and all that. But Beres has another story. He said someone said something feisty and him and he responded in kind and now he is getting the blame.

He explained that there was another instance when one of the contestants "belch inna mi face and when mi ask har why she do dat, she seh 'so what' and mi tell har fi go ...."

According to the statement that was sent in by the producer of the DRS "Over the four weeks, since Mr Beres Brown has been a contestant in the Digicel Rising Stars competition, he has displayed behaviour that, in any context, would be considered intolerable. Mr Brown has been rude, disrespectful, abusive, intolerant and confrontational. The contestants and members of the DRS team felt continuously intimidated by Mr Brown due to his verbal abuse and threatening behaviour towards fellow contestants, crew members and the producers.”

Check out this story in the Jamaica Observer. Hmm all we can say is that others should be just as vigilant about their intellectual property.

Brooke Hogan, singer, star of a reality show and daughter of wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan has been sued by local recording/production company Jam 2 Productions, run by the son of veteran producer Hugh 'King Jammy's' James, a release from the company states.

"A lawsuit has been filed in Manhattan, USA against the Sobe Entertainment artiste for failing to compensate or credit Jam 2 Productions, members Jammy James (Jam 2) and Camar Doyles (Flavaunit) who were approached in 2006/2007 for production work on her sophomore album, The Redemption which was released in 2009," the release said

According to Jam 2 business contact, Brian Hugh, Jam 2's brother, Trevor James was affiliated to Hogan's label, Sobe Entertainment and it was he who brought the two entities together.

"Sometime in 2006 Brooke Hogan and her reps from SoBe visited King Jammy's studio in Waterhouse where a verbal agreement was made that Jam 2 would work on a project with Hogan for which they would be paid and would also get credit on the album, but none of that was done," Hughes explained to the Observer via telephone.

According to the release, the production also included a 2001 song performed and written by Camar Doyles aka Flavaunit entitled Come On, Come, On.

"Brooke and Sobe used the song, but changed it up, adding her own lyrics, and changing the name of the song to Trust Me. Again, Brooke and Sobe said they'd pay and credit Jam 2 Productions, which to this day has not been forthcoming.

"Jam 2 Productions became alerted when the song Trust Me was deleted from their MySpace account claiming a Copyright Infringement.

Jam 2 Productions immediately contacted their lawyer Jon Jekielek in New York who immediately issued two letters to SoBe Entertainment both of which returned unanswered. Mr Jekeilek was then instructed to take full action and on Monday August 2, 2010, a formal lawsuit was issued in court," the Jam 2 release stated.

Hughes told the Observer that Jam 2 has all the relevant material to support their claim that the song is theirs, including the Pro Tools file.

"The Pro Tools file is an important pice of evidence and it tells the history of the recording project," he explained. "The project was recorded overseas, but we have kept our files in order," Hughes added.

Jam 2 is claiming US$200,000, including punitive damages for failure to pay and credit Jam 2 Productions on the musical composition, melody and lyrics of the song Trust Me which is performed by Brooke Hogan on the album The Redemption.

Hughes admitted that while it was not the norm for producers to work on project without an advance, there are cases when "agreements are worked out".

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Singer Wyclef Jean is about to announce his candidacy for president of earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the former head of the country’s Chamber of Deputies said Tuesday.

Former Deputy Pierre Eric Jean-Jacques told The Associated Press that the hip hop artist will run as part of his coalition in the Nov. 28 election.

Jean spokeswoman Cindy Tanenbaum declined to confirm the report. She said the singer planned to make an announcement Thursday night in Haiti but declined to say what it would be.

Jean-Jacques, who will be seeking to return to the Chamber of Deputies in the election, said he will be a candidate for a new coalition that calls itself Ansanm Nou Fo, which translates as “together we are strong” in Creole.

“Yes, we have an agreement (with Jean). But he’s the one who has to announce it first,” Jean-Jacques told AP, declining to elaborate on their political plans.

Jean is popular in Haiti for his music and for his work through his charity Yele Haiti, which raised millions of dolars after the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and knocked down most of the government ministries and many of the homes in the capital.

Rumors have swirled for months that Jean would run for president. The singer has always been careful not to rule out a run for the office and recorded a song “If I was President.”
The 37-year-old was born outside Port-au-Prince but left as a child and grew up in Brooklyn.

Dozens of candidates are expected to compete for the presidency in the Nov. 28 election, among them Jean’s uncle Raymond Joseph, who is Haiti’s ambassador in Washington. Other likely candidates include former prime ministers, mayors and another popular Haitian musician, Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly.

All must register their candidancies with the country’s electoral council by Saturday. The electoral council’s director of registration, Jean-Marie Lumier, said Tuesday he had not received papers for Jean’s bid.

Questions surround Jean’s qualifications for office. He must prove he has resided in Haiti for five consecutive years, own property in the country and have no other citizenship but Haitian. Officials have disqualified some candidates on technicalities while allowing others to run.

In 2007, the singer was named an official Haitian ambassador-at-large by President Rene Preval, whom Jean supported in his 2006 re-election bid. Preval has served two non-consecutive terms and is barred by the constitution from seeking office again.

Haiti’s next president will face an enormous task of rebuilding a country devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake. But the office has never been an easy job: Presidents have only rarely completed a constitutional five-year term — most in history have been overthrown, assassinated, declared themselves “president-for-life” or some combination of the three.

Minister of Health Minister Rudyard Spencer, is urging the public to co-operate with Ministry’s health workers involved in vector control and other activities associated with the elimination of Dengue Fever.

He said that particularly important was that, during fogging exercises, residents open doors and windows so that mosquitoes in the homes can be eliminated.

As a precautionary measure, he is also encouraged persons to ensure that water storage containers are covered, as they are found to be major breeding sites for mosquitoes.

He asked persons to cover other containers in which water can settle, to keep them dry, clean them regularly, fill them with soil or sand, punch holes them or dispose of them.

“Persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors. Make sure that children wear protective clothing, such as socks, long sleeved shirts, or blouses and long pants,” Mr. Spencer said.

He was speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House Tuesday (August 3), to discuss the Ministry’s Dengue Fever preparedness and vector control activities.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Sheila Campbell Forrester, encouraged the public to seek medical attention, once they have identified symptoms, or think they have been infected with Dengue, particularly in its more severe forms - Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome.

“We are appealing to members of the public, not to wait until your symptoms become severe. If you...have any reason to believe you, or a family member, may have Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome, you...need to go to your nearest hospital,” the CMO said.

Dr. Campbell-Forrester said that persons have been complaining of Dengue-like illnesses islandwide, but assured that the Ministry’s health team was equipped to manage cases and was on the alert for signs and symptoms of the illness.

She pointed out that Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. There are four types of the virus – of which types one, two and four are currently in circulation in the Caribbean region.

As of July 24, there have been 77 laboratory cases of Dengue in Jamaica, while there have been seven confirmed cases of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever.

Judy Mowatt, one of the original members of the legendary I-three was scheduled to perform at the Monterey Jazz fest, but sister Judy never even got to leave Jamaica because the promoter, up until the day she was scheduled to leave still was unable to present a contract or a deposit.

According Sister Judy in April of this year Robert Ougie of Ojama productions contacted her in regards to booking shows for the West Coast.

“I verbally agreed to be a part of the show providing the contract details be sent to me via email.

I was originally scheduled to perform here in Jamaica and declined the home-based show to go accommodate the Monterey Jazz Fest. It is standard procedure for a contract and deposit be delivered in a timely fashion.

I encountered several communication issues with the promoters including not responding to phone calls , emails or text messages. The only time I heard from the promoters was regarding the purchase of the airline tickets for myself and my back-up singers the day before I was supposed to leave Jamaica.

My daughter and manager got wind of the situation and intervened immediately via black berry with very little outcome.

I therefore had to notify my singers prior to the flight that we would no longer be heading to the festival since up until the day of travel no contract had been delivered. “

According to the singer, she had prepared herself thoroughly for this event and she extended an apology to all her fans who had turned out for the show.

“To all of my fans and supporters over the years I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for continued loved and support. For my fans over on the west coast, I was very much looking forward to the show since it has been years since I’ve performed there.

I have prepared for this tour mentally, physically and spiritually to share my heart and soul but cannot force what was not meant to be. The all mighty father is the knowing one. The Monterrey Jazz festival is not a charity event and my work over the years has been a gainful employment and was not respected.

“This is not the case with all promoters of course but one must always be cautious at all levels.

What the promoters have done was an attempt to devalue my worth as an artiste but it was unsuccessful.

He has also tried to cover his tracks by lying about the situation, but that too was unsuccessful. Again thank you all for your ongoing love and support always. One love.”

Scheduled to start at 10 am, the funeral service for late dancehall trailblazer Lincoln ‘Sugar’ Minott, did not get underway until a couple minutes to 12 noon on Emancipation Day, August 1.

The mood outside the National Arena in Kingston, the venue for the service, was a mixture of frustration and embarrassment as mourners stood idly by, wondering why nothing was happening.

It was subsequently revealed in hushed whispers that apparently the funeral home was waiting for further deposits prior to releasing the body, causing even further pain to the grieving family of the late singer.

Reports are that the funeral home charged the family over two million dollars and, up to Sunday, they had received a little less than half of the total.

Sighs of relief greeted the arrival of the casket, painted in the colours of the Jamaican flag, with pictures of the reggae icon.

However, this was also the start of confusion as all the mourners pressed up front hoping for a glimpse of Mr Minott, even as his baby mothers, his children and his mother took their last, tearful glance.

Programmes was few and only the most aggressive were able to grab a copy and, in true dancehall fashion, the musical tributes were greeted with loud cheers, similar to the sounds one hears at a stage show.

The official closing tribute came from Sugar’s daughter Fire Pashon and her siblings, after which the graffiti don LA Lewis, dressed in his trademark white with his foot soldiers at his side, took the microphone. At that point, the persons insdie the Arena drifted out.

Reports surfacing is that Gyptian is now the most popular artiste in North America. Yeah man that means he has surpassed the likes of Vybz Kartel, Shaggy and Sean Paul.

According to a story in the Jamaica Observer he has become the most popular dancehall artiste in North America and third popular globally based on online searches, amidst the prerelease of his charting album.

He is more popular than rivals in the US and Canada (the world’s largest music market) according to data from search engine Google analysed by the Observer. Over the last 30 days, every 100 searches for Gyptian saw a corresponding 67 for Shaggy and five for Sean Paul, zero for Kartel in the US

Globally, however, Gyptian has half the online popularity of Sean Paul and Shaggy who are still the most popular deejays.

That is not bad for Gyptian, as last June he did not even register on Google Trends.

Gyptian’s global rise to third place occurred in May and June when he beat Kartel and Matisyahu respectively. It indicates that more persons worldwide are searching for news and music from Gyptian than ever.

His hit single Hold Yuh is currently topping five territories including US, UK, France, Canada and Belgium based on iTunes Reggae Songs chart up to Saturday.

His single is also charting at number four on Billboard’s Heatseeker’s singles chart. Whilst his new album on VP Records debuted at number two on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart this week (despite his album’s official release in August).

Rolling Stone is reporting that new material from the late Michael Jackson is coming to stores this fall courtesy of Sony Music.

Ten previously-unreleased songs are due in November, which will be the first in a 10-project, seven-year, $250 million deal the Jackson estate signed with Sony Music in March 2010. The pact also includes reissues of Jackson’s classic albums, greatest hits sets and a DVD collection.

The magazine said Jackson is believed to have left hard drives filled with unheard music, much of it recorded during his 1980s peak.

Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo said he estimates that the King of Pop’s vaults contain more than 100 completed and unreleased songs, including collaborations with artists Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo.

“There are a couple of songs we recorded for the Bad album that we had to cut that are just sensational,” DiLeo said.

In a new jailhouse interview, convicted DC sniper Lee Boyd Malvo said he and his partner attempted to recruit fellow shooters for their 2002 spree and that his accomplice killed one man for backing out.

Malvo was interviewed for the one-hour TV special “Confessions of the DC Sniper with William Shatner: An Aftermath Special,” which aired Thursday on A&E.

In a telephone call from a southwest Virginia prison, Malvo told Shatner two men planned to join in the attacks to make them more deadly but reneged.

Malvo said his fellow shooter, John Allen Muhammad, killed one of the men in retaliation. Malvo did not identify them.

Malvo’s revelations came in response to questions about claims by a psychiatrist that the duo had co-conspirators.

The psychiatrist, Neil Blumberg, who worked with Malvo before his trial, also said Malvo had confessed to more shootings in addition to the spree that terrorized the Washington region in 2002, when 13 people were hit and 10 of them died.

In the TV interview, Malvo initially denies his psychiatrist’s claims that he and Muhammad had co-conspirators.

Once pressured, he says someone in Arizona helped them get weapons and explosives, and a man in New York was supposed to help them get out of the country “when it’s all said and done.” He said both later backed out of plans to help with the shootings.

“There was supposed to be three to four snipers with silenced weapons,” said Malvo, who was 17 at the time of the shootings. “In this way we could do a lot more damage along the entire Eastern Seaboard.”

Blumberg said Malvo told him Muhammad made him shoot two of the co-conspirators once they backed out of the plan.

Malvo told Shatner only one of the men was killed, and that Muhammad did it. Blumberg also said Malvo told him there was a third co-conspirator who was supposed to have joined them in Washington but did not. Malvo does not mention that person during the interview with Shatner.

Previously, Malvo and Muhammad had been linked to as many as 27 shootings resulting in 17 deaths in 10 states and Washington DC.

Blumberg told the show Malvo had confessed to him to at least 42 shootings.

When Shatner asked about the number of shootings, Malvo rattles off states where he claims he and Muhammad shot people but doesn’t give an exact number.

Malvo’s statements have been inconsistent in the past, and authorities have cast doubt on some of his reported confessions since he was sentenced to life in prison. Muhammad was executed in Virginia last year.

The sniper-style attacks all but paralyzed the nation’s capital, as people were shot at random while going about their everyday life — pumping gas, buying groceries, and for one young boy, as he went to school.

The shooters used a high-powered rifle, firing from the trunk of a modified Chevy Caprice until they were tracked down at a Maryland rest stop.

In an interview with a Canadian reporter Nardwuar, Drake shared his thoughts about his preference of women.

“I put like the biggest breast bras on my mic stand,” he admitted. “I try to showcase the fact that a full chest is nothing to be ashamed of… You shouldn’t go get them reduced. Breasts are a beautiful thing.”

A bizarre revelation Drake revealed in the interview was that he has a large collection of large sized bras.

“I actually have an entire trunk, I think there’s about 4[00] or 500 bras in this trunk,” Drake said. “It’s a black trunk and I carry it with me on the road. It’s pretty much every bra I’ve ever received.”

In the interview, Nardwuar handed over a vinyl soundtrack from the blaxploitation film ‘Coffy,’ starring Drake’s favorite big breasted woman, Pam Grier. Drake, visibly surprised, held the collector’s item.

“This woman… Oh man, this is gonna sound so weird,” he continued, “When I first discovered what masturbation was, I used to jerk-off to Pam Grier. I think Pam Grier is really responsible for shaping my taste in women if you really look at her.”

Umm, that would be waaay too much information there, Mr. Drake, but duly noted.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The word behold is especially significant, for it reminds us to take time to really see--to consciously observe--the beauty around us.

What beauty do I behold today? Is it the rising sun? Is it the face of a loving companion or a precious pet? A sacred prayer that fills my heart and soul? I can behold beauty in all of these things and more. Anytime I seek beauty, I will find it.

It may be found in a tiny grain of sand or in the vastness of a canyon. I may find beauty in the magnificence of the outside world or in the deep inner sanctum of my soul.

Today I behold the beauty in all things. As I do, I see the beauty within and around me in greater splendor.

Consciously pausing to feel the steady, rhythmic beat of my heart and the deep and calming flow of my breath, I dedicate myself to expressing peace today.

As a child of God, I share a common heritage of divine love with all people. I remember this as I think and speak of others today, as I interact, and as I agree or disagree with other points of view. I appreciate the diversity that adds richness, beauty and strength to the tapestry of humankind.

The words I choose and the tone in which I speak convey my peaceful intentions. I look for opportunities to share a smile, a kind word and a helping hand. I am a presence of peace. I see peace; I speak peace; I live from a peaceful heart.

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.--Romans 14:19

Nicki Minaj revealed a couple of her Hollywood A List crushes in a recent interview with People Magazine.

Surprisingly to some, the stars that Nicki Minaj mentioned were bot women.

Charlize Theron, who starred in Devil's Advocate and Monster, was the first celebrity crush that Nicki Minaj admitted.

The South African actress, who won an Oscar for her role in the 2003 film Monster, has made quite the impression on Nicki Minaj. “She’s a bad bitch.

I think she’s really, really perky.”

Jada Pinkett Smith also caught the eye of Nicki Minaj and is described as one of her Hollywood favorites. “If it were raining I’d give Jada Pinkett my umbrella n put my rain coat on the puddle in front of her.”

A St. Lucian soccer star in New York for a tournament was shot to death in Brooklyn early Monday, hours after scoring a goal that sent his team to the finals, police sources said.

Isidore Phillip Tisson, 27, was shot in a car outside a Crown Heights cafe around 4:25 a.m. where he’d stopped after leaving a nightclub where the team celebrated.

When Tisson climbed back into the car, an unknown gunman approached from behind, and opened fire. Sources say the bullet passed through Tisson’s head and struck a 24-year-old woman who was seated next to him in the chest.

She was taken to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, police said. Two other women who were in the car were unhurt.

According to information from the Ministry of Health Jamaica has recorded its first death from dengue haemorrhagic fever yesterday.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Sheila Campbell Forrester, in expressing condolence to the family members of the individual, who resided in Manchester, yesterday urged persons to be vigilant in identifying and destroying mosquito breeding sites.

"Look for anything in which water can settle and either cover it, keep the area dry, clean it regularly, fill it with soil or sand, punch holes into it or recycle or dispose of it," the chief medical officer said.

"As much as possible, persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors," a health ministry statement added.

Jamaica has so far recorded 120 confirmed cases of dengue fever, including three cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever, the ministry said.

She went on Twitter and write up a bag a things including that she is single again and loving it.

Right away the media antennae go up and dem call har fi ask bout it and of course she talk that she was just messing around, but in the same story she get to talk about her new lingerie line and new album.

Now what we say is that this is a more creative way to get a write up then staging feuds with each other to stay in the spotlight.

Check out Lady Saw tweet that send out the red flag: "When you give a man second chances over and over again and he [expletive] again and again leave his sorry [expletive]."

Later in the night, she said: "To all Twitter and Facebook informer bring back this to you know who. Am single and loving it."

A police constable who allegedly discharged his weapon yesterday while at a party on a boat in Ocho Rios, was last night killed by his colleagues during a shoot-out which started at the Ocho Rios Police Station in St Ann.

Reports are that Sheldon Williams, a policeman attached to the police armory in Kingston, was warned that he would be prosecuted after he did a gun salute aboard a vessel.

He was picked up by the police as he disembarked and taken to the station for processing. It is alleged that Williams’ weapon was taken from him and placed on the table, but he somehow managed to pick it up and ran from the station, firing.

Further reports are that the police fired back.

During the shootout, which ended near the Ocho Rios bypass where Williams collapsed, another officer was injured. They were both taken to the hospital where Williams was pronounced dead.

Williams’ father and a politician in the area, who is related to the dead cop have condemned the killing. “They must have known he was a policeman, so why did they treat him that way?” his father is reported as saying.

Kerwin Bollers, of Hits and Jams Entertainment, has said that the organizers were not on top of security during recent concerts staged as part of the ‘Jamzone Summer Break Weekend.’

The promoter said Hits and Jams received no reports about cars being vandalized, but that they were aware of security breaches inside the stadium, “some of which were beyond our control.”

He said the company imported security rails from Trinidad and Tobago to secure the VIP area, and that it managed to hold off crowds until Jamaican singer, Mavado performed.

Bollers said security systems were in place, but there were also emergency changes and many of the details changed from time to time for “various reasons.”

He said the Guyana Police Force, which was working with Hits and Jams, was forced to change the security arrangements because of the large number of government officials and dignitaries who turned out.

“We invited a lot of them, but we didn’t expect that they would all come,” he added.

Mavado was responsible for the security breach in the VIP area, according to Bollers.

He said the Jamaican singer encouraged people to “come over the rails” while he was on stage and what ensued was a mad rush by hundreds of persons to get closer.

“This is when things went wrong and we tried to control what was happening at the time, but the rail system couldn’t hold off the amount of people that were pushing it,” he said.

According to Bollers, the team was contemplating whether to call an abrupt halt to the show at that stage because they had feared “several things.”

However, a decision was taken to let the show continue since the sudden halt might have triggered something major. He said that certain elements used that opportunity while in the VIP area to rob others.

Bollers disclosed that his team had particular concerns for the Mavado show because of the “type of following that Movado has,” so they worked on keeping security strict.

The focus was to keep
Based on reports reaching Stabroek News, close to 100 vehicles were stripped and valuables stolen during the string of events promoted by Bollers‘ company; many at the parking lot adjacent to the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, where concerts were held.

Confirmed reports also indicated that patrons were robbed in the VIP area while Jamaican dancehall artist Mavado was on stage, headlining the Regional Night concert at the stadium.

Bollers referred to the robberies as “unfortunate,” saying that they have since apologized to the patrons who approached them.

International news agency Reuters is reporting that US authorities want to extradite David Smith, former OLINT boss, from the Turks and Caicos Islands for his involvement in one of the Caribbean's biggest financial fraud cases.

The report quotes a US law enforcement official.

American prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Mr. Smith, who is currently under investigation but on bail in Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mr. Smith faces fraud, money laundering and other charges in the British territory.

John Briggs, Deputy senior investigator of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Special Investigation and Prosecution Team, says it is alleged that Mr. Smith ran a Ponzi scheme involving US$300 million.

In a court filing earlier this month in Florida, prosecutors said Mr. Smith defrauded thousands of investors from Jamaica, the US and other Caribbean territories, promising them monthly average returns of 10%.

Mr. Smith is due to appear in a Turks and Caicos Islands court on September 28 to answer fraud charges.

Jamaican authorities shut down OLINT's offices four years ago, but Mr. Smith moved on to operate out of Turks and Caicos Islands.

The accountant and attorneys for dancehall deejay, Bounty Killa, will be seeking a meeting with the Tax Administration Services Department this week to clarify his tax debt.

Enforcement officials of the Tax Department swooped down on the entertainer's residence at the Oaklands Apartments on Friday and seized two high end motor vehicles, a Range Rover and a Land Cruiser Prado, owned by him.

The Tax Department reported that it seized the vehicles in its bid to recover $12 million in taxes owed by Bounti Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce.

However, the entertainer's attorney Linda Wright told RJR News that there is some dispute over the figure.

“They just say he owes $12 million ... we know we had filed (taxes) for the year 2000 but then he taken objection for the year 2001, 2003.

However, the document (that they) left when they seized the vehicle only indicated that he was owing $12 million … we don’t know if this is in penalty, fees and principal, we don’t know for what year,” she said.

“That has to be clarified and his accountant will be meeting with Tax Department tomorrow for some clarification as to what period they’re saying the taxes are owed for because he had paid but had objected to some of them,” Mrs. Wright added.

It seems there is no end in sight with this Manatt, Phelps and Phillips dramas.

The latest now is that the Prime Minister Bruce Golding seem to be accusing Phillips ‘selling out’.According to the PM Phillips signed pact with US without Cabinet approval.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding addresses yesterday’s Area Council One meeting of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the Papine High School in St Andrew. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Giving an outline of the discussion between Kingston and Washington on the extradition issue, Golding said: "When the request came in we said to the US Government the request is in contravention of the law. The US said to us, that law is not the only means by which we can get information and use it as evidence.

"We said to the US Government, what are you telling us, which agreement are you referring to? They showed us a document, signed by the minister of national security, in 2004 I believe it was.

At that point I called the commissioner of police and I said, do you know anything at all about this agreement that was signed? and he said I know nothing at all about it," Golding stated.

He said that if such an agreement existed it must have had Cabinet approval, which prompted him to call the Cabinet Office for information on the agreement.

"I directed them to go and search the secret submissions, because there are some submissions that come to Cabinet that are considered highly confidential and are classified... because a matter as serious as this could not have been done without the approval of the Cabinet," Golding continued.

"They searched the secret submissions; they can find no record of any such agreement.

After considerable search I got hold of a copy of the agreement, an agreement that was entered into, without as far as we can establish, the approval of the Cabinet, entered into by the former minister of national security," Golding said to loud shouts of "Peter Phillips a sell-out"

Lady Gaga is known for her skimpy outfits and sexually-charged performances, but she says she fears having sex with a partner could deplete her artistic energy.

"I have this weird thing that if I sleep with someone they're going to take my creativity through my vagina," the performer said in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was released on Monday.

Lady Gaga is not the only pop star to laud the value of abstinence, but she may be among the first to tout it as a boost to creativity. Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and American Idol-winner Jordin Sparks have all worn "promise rings" to symbolize a pledge of chastity until marriage.

Even Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, has become the face of an abstinence campaign after she became pregnant at the age of 16 and gave birth to a son.

Lady Gaga is on the cover of the September issue of Vanity Fair. A photo spread of the "Poker Face" singer clad in little other than a rhinestone choker, accompanies the interview. Gaga also speaks about drug use and family.

LAS VEGAS - Paris Hilton was arrested late Friday after a police motorcycle officer smelled marijuana smoke wafting from a black Cadillac Escalade driven by her boyfriend on the Las Vegas Strip, then found cocaine in her purse, authorities said.

A crowd quickly gathered when Hilton and Las Vegas nightclub mogul Cy Waits were stopped about 11:30 p.m. Friday in the vehicle near the Wynn Las Vegas resort, police said.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was taken into the hotel "to keep her safe" during the initial investigation, police Lt. Wayne Holman said.

Police Officer Marcus Martin said the motorcycle officer pulled the Escalade over on Las Vegas Boulevard after noticing smoke that smelled like marijuana. Police later found a substance in Hilton's purse that tests showed to be cocaine, Martin said. He didn't say how much of the drug was found. Hilton was arrested on suspicion of felony cocaine possession.

Waits, 34, was arrested on misdemeanor suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Both were booked into the Clark County jail, where Martin said Hilton was released without bail about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Less than an hour later, Hilton's Twitter account was updated with a posting that said the actress was in bed watching the television show "Family Guy," and then that she was going to sleep.

It was unclear if the tweets came from her, were posted by time-release or were sent by someone else.

If convicted of the low-grade felony, Hilton would get probation. Any violation of probation would be punishable by one to four years in Nevada state prison.

Hilton's manager did not immediately respond early Saturday to telephone calls for comment. Hilton's publicist, Dawn Miller, did not immediately return an e-mail message.

A spokeswoman for Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Waits and his twin brother, Jesse, are managing partners of the Tryst Nightclub inside Wynn Las Vegas, Drai's after hours club at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, and XS The Nightclub at Wynn's Encore resort.

A spokeswoman for Harrah's resorts declined immediate comment.
Earlier this week, Hilton was in the news when a 31-year-old man allegedly tried to break into her Los Angeles home.

While most famous for her tabloid exploits and reality TV series "The Simple Life," Hilton has appeared in the films "Bottoms Up," "The Hottie & the Nottie" and "House of Wax."

The community of Clay Ground in Bamboo, St Ann is mourning the passing of 17-year-old Moya Brown and her six-year-old twin sisters Taneisha and Teneisha Calder who all died in a fire at their home on Saturday night.

Another sister, 10-years-old Jodean Griffiths, escaped the blaze and has been admitted to the St Ann’s Bay hospital.

Reports are that Moya was preparing a meal on the gas stove and then left to put her sister to bed.

They all fell asleep and apparently a kitchen towel left near to the stove caught fire, which quickly spread to the curtains and subsequently engulfed the wooden structure.

Residents say there was absolutely nothing they could do, as by the time the 10-year-old alerted them and they ran to the house, the fire was raging and they couldn’t get near. The fire brigade was summoned, but they too had dicfficulties accessing the house and had to end up asking neighbours for water for the cooling down process. Damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

According to media reports, Angella Newman, the mother of the girls was on her way home from St Ann’s Bay when she got the call that three of her daughters had died in a fire at home. She, too, had to be hospitalized.

I give freely, not only of my financial resources, but also of my time, energy and love. I share from my willingness and eagerness to bless others.

Whether I recycle gently-used household items, spend time tutoring a child, or volunteer to assist someone in need, I am giving from my heart. I receive the blessings of joy, satisfaction and gratitude as soon as I give to another.

As I give and receive, I realize that material possessions do not define prosperity.

Prosperity is a mind-set, a consciousness, a knowing that everything we need is already supplied. My giving opens the way for God's blessings to circulate. I give from the knowledge that I live in an abundant universe.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.--2 Corinthians 9:6

Life seems to throw us curve balls every once in awhile. I may face unexpected challenges for which I feel unprepared. In these moments, I turn to God.

The grace of God is available to me whenever and wherever I need it. This powerful gift of divine support calms me, comforts me and lifts my spirits.

God gives me the strength and courage to face and prevail through life's changes and challenges. As I pray, grace fills the empty spaces in my heart or in my life. I am one with the Creator--supported by infinite love.

Guided by the still small voice within, I choose to live an empowered life. With clarity, creativity, vigor and flexibility, I gracefully move through life's experiences.

A judge in Maryland has ruled on Tuesday that Ne-Yo and his booking agent must pay in excess of $156,000 in damages to a promoter after Ne-Yo failed to show up at a show in Washington state on New Years Eve, 2008.

Ne-Yo and Mike Esterman were sued by promoter Kenyohn Clark who claimed that Esterman failed to return a $95,000 deposit.

Ne-Yo testified at the trial and says he knew that the deposit should have been returned.

Double sprint world record holder Usain Bolt says American Tyson Gay will not break the men's 100 metre world record this year and would need the push from himself or Asafa Powell to even come close to that time.

On Wednesday, Gay the second fastest man ever over 100 metres, said he did not need Bolt or Powell to break his personal best of 9.69 seconds at Friday’s 14th and final Diamond League Meet in Brussels, Belgium.

However, Bolt says Gay will need the extra push to break his 9.58 seconds world record set at the Berlin, Germany World Athletic Championships last year.

“Tyson is a great fighter, he works hard and he has done extremely well but I don’t think he’ll get a world record this year.

I think he needs that extra push to break the record because 9.58 seconds is not easy to get and I had to push in that race with Gay and Powell to set that record,” Bolt said.

“I think he will need that extra push … you can’t push yourself to the limit that you want to.

But I think he’s a great athlete, I wish him all the best and if he breaks it, it’s whatever, because my main aim is the world championship (in 2011),” he added.

Even though Gay will not have a Bolt or Powell to contend with on Friday, he will still have a few Jamaicans to face including upcoming sprint sensation Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and world junior champion Dexter Lee.

Four other Jamaicans are down to compete; Allodin Fothergill will line up in the men's 400 metres while Korene Hinds and Madrea Hyman will contest the women's 3,000 metre steeplechase.

National record holder Dorian Scott will line up in the men's shott putt.

Members of the gay and lesbian community are again making their voices heard when it comes to reggae artistes with anti-gay messages.

The latest Jamaican act to face the verbal outbursts is reggae artiste Sizzla Kalonji who is his European tour.

The 34-year old artiste, whose give name is Miguel Collins, was scheduled to perform at this years Chiemsee Reggae Summer in Germany which the artiste recently found out was cancelled.

It was understood that there was heavy pressure for several weeks from gay groups and politicians.

The decision to cancel the tour was because of safety reasons as they could not guarantee the safety for festival-goers, as a huge amount of protestors planned to attend the festival during Sizzla's performance.

However, Sizzla's fans may see him on stage very soon, as he is scheduled to perform in Europe in September and Japan in October.

Great party vibes, walk-out and never get tired, girls' anthem and independent woman are all saucily packaged in Party Til December, the lead-off single from Lady Saw's soon-to-be-released album, My Way, on her new label, Divas Records/Toasting Music/Universal.

Armed with a rollicking, uptempo riddim, Lady Saw, steps to it as only she can and with one press of a button fires off lyrics which are she says are sure to have all the single ladies — and some of those 'in a relationship' — making that quantum leap from the boredom of a bedroom to the dazzle of a dance floor.

And, as infectious as the riddim is, Party Til December is one of those songs that make the listener also want to hear the lyrics.

According to Saw, who wears her producer hat on this track from the album, due in stores September 7, Party Till December was one of the first songs she did for the album and while working on the project it was her favourite, until it was replaced by others.

Saw surmised that the single's crossover potential could have played a role in the decision-making process. Party Till December is quite a club banger and is also a true girls' anthem, the type which has been gaining popularity with fans internationally.

The album, My Way, also has productions from Tony 'CD' Kelly, Lloyd 'John John' James, Danny Browne and Stephen McGregor. Among the other tracks are Every Way Mi Go, Your Chick, He Is At My House (Featuring Eve), My Way, Me Hold Yuh, Muscle Control (with Camar) and I Can't Wait (Featuring Ding Dong).

Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier Leslie Moodie, who was convicted on June 28 of the murders of Ejon Peart, 20; Davian Kerr, 19; Lynchmore Forbes, 24; and William Wilberforce, 28, has been sentenced to hanging.

The four were killed at the Diamond Lounge Gaming Club at Washington Boulevard in St Andrew.
If the thirty-three-year-old Moodie -- who was a corporal attached to the Coast Guard of the JDF -- goes to the gallows, this will be the first hanging in Jamaica in 22 years.

Despite a plea for life imprisonment by Moodie’s lawyers, the judge, Justice Horace Marsh stated that the murders were “extreme” and that Moodie had shown no remorse.

Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Lisa Palmer Hamilton and Crown Counsel Paula Archer Hall called for the death penalty.

They argued that the crime was premeditated and heinous. They asked the judge to send a message that when a member of the security forces commits such a cold, calculated and callous act, his action should be met with the most serious punishment.

Forty year old Rodney Joseph, from Top Hill in St Elizabeth who was accused of physically and sexually abusing his 80-year-old mother was shot and killed at his home by the police.

Reports are that Josephs was known to have repeatedly forced himself on his octogenarian mother and had been wanted by the police.

Early Thursday morning, the cops went to the house in search of Joseph. Police reports are that the lawmen informed Joseph that he needed to accompany them to the station, but the man, the police say, threatened them.

The cops further report that Joseph rushed from inside the house wielding a knife and attempted to stab one of the officers, who had to quickly move out of the way. One of the policemen allegedly fired three shots at Joseph, after which the injured man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The St Catherine North Police say they could wrap up their interviews today with the mothers and girlfriends of alleged gangsters in the division.

On Monday, the police appealed to 20 of the women to turn in themselves for questioning.

Fourteen of them did so, and have since been facing intense questioning as the St Catherine North police move to deal with the problem of crime in the division.

The women were sent home last night and the commanding officer for the St Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Assan Thompson, said about seven of them are to return today to be further questioned.

The Organised Crime Investigation Division, the Financial Crimes Unit and detectives from other police divisions are carrying out questioning.

At the time, everyone in Pittsburgh's Stanley Theatre knew they were witnesses to history.

Bob Marley stood tall and proud onstage and beckoned them to Get Up, Stand Up, and they responded loudly with wo yo yo yo.

Later they discovered the history they witnessed was, in fact, Marley's last performance.

Live Forever encapsulates the pure energy of that fateful performance by Jamaica's most legendary son.

The original live recording, captured on tape by Marley's engineer Dennis Thompson, has been lovingly preserved and remastered for the 30th anniversary album release exclusively in the Caribbean.

Adding to the distinctiveness of the collection-worthy album is the special eco-friendly packaging.

Bob had ascended to the pinnacle of his career when he took to the stage in Pittsburgh; he had just completed a successful European Uprising tour and had played on sold-out bills in New York's Madison Square Garden. Simply put, he had arrived.

Everything about the concert was a reflection of Marley - the superior production, the masterful collection of musicians and the eclectic range of songs, emphasising the complexity of the man turned superstar.

The album also includes live renditions of: Uprising, Coming In From The Cold, Work, Zion Train, Redemption Song and Could You Be Loved. The entire concert, from his opening song to the final applause, spans the special double CD album.

Live Forever becomes available through Tuff Gong Distribution on September 23.

The Ministry of Health(MOH) has issued a warning that dengue fever type 2 is currently in circulation in Jamaica. With the volume of cases increasing islandwide, persons with symptoms are advised to visit their nearest health centre.

There are four types of the illness – 1, 2 3 and 4 – all of which present with the same symptoms. Persons can however develop immunity for each type of dengue contracted.

This means that individuals can get dengue fever up to four times.

“Symptoms of dengue fever include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pains, joint or bone pains, skin rash and nausea. Persons may also get the severe form, dengue haemorrhagic fever and this can lead to death.

Those most susceptible to having dengue haemorrhagic fever are persons who have contracted dengue fever at least once before,” said Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry continues to appeal to persons to follow the guidelines to eliminate the breeding sites for mosquitoes. Look for anything in which water can settle and either cover it, keep the area dry, clean it regularly, fill it with soil or sand, punch holes into it or recycle or dispose of it.

As much as possible, persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors.

Individuals who wish to obtain more information on dengue may call the Ministry’s Emergency Operations Centre at 1888-663-5683 (1888 ONE LOVE).

Another promise of another confession has come from the ruling Jamaica Labour Party on the vexing Manatt Phelps and Phillips issue.

Following widespread criticism and condemnation from interest groups and civil society since the Sunday Gleaner’s email expose, the Bruce Golding administration says it will come clean and answer all questions in the coming days.

The church has so far met with the prime minister and a response to six questions from private sector leaders is being prepared.

At the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, Information Minister, Daryl Vaz stated, "I read the papers yesterday (Tuesday) and I saw several different groupings, including groupings in the countryside, who still feel that there is more to the Manatt issue, and I feel it is going to be important that we separate the politics from the actual concerns and try and address it because it is a deep concern which relates to the issue of governance.”

According to Vaz, "The Government, through the prime minister, has already indicated very loudly and very clearly that this matter, from the start, was a mistake for which we take full responsibility.

"Coupled with that, there was misrepresentation as it relates to the Government ... which has made a bad situation worse," Vaz added, while noting that there would be nothing criminal or illegal if the Government had engaged Manatt.

The Government says its position that it never engaged the US law firm has not changed despite the emails revealed on Sunday.

Throughout each day, I have the opportunity to make many choices. From the friends I choose to the thoughts I think--everything is a choice, a manifestation of the unlimited possibilities before me.

As I prepare for an activity, I turn to God in prayer and give thanks for guidance and inspiration in making choices. I call on the inner resources at the core of my being to respond to any situation.

Although in any given moment it might appear that my choices are limited, I know this is an illusion created by my narrow human view. With spiritual eyes, I see infinite possibilities, and I make each choice with confidence and peace.

For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.--Proverbs 3:26

United States Ambassador-designate to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater has given the assurance that when she assumes her post as Ambassador, she will take steps to address the declining approval rate of visa issuance to Jamaican nationals.

Ambassador Bridgewater gave this undertaking to Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks, who raised the concern while in discussions during a courtesy call on Ambassador Marks at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday, August 24.

The Ambassador-designate said, "I will meet with the Consular team at the US Embassy in Jamaica along with my Consular team very early after my arrival to see how this issue can be addressed to the satisfaction of both countries."

Ambassador Marks highlighted the declining approval rates for the issuance of visas to Jamaican nationals as an area which needed continued review. She mentioned that Trinidad and Tobago for example enjoyed a visitor's visa approval rate nearly three times as high as Jamaica's.

She indicated that she had had discussions with relevant officials in the Department of State, where she had raised the worrying trend of the declining approvals.

It was explained that the US looks at a variety of factors, including the economy of the sending country as well as the state of the US economy. However, Ambassador Marks said she had been promised a review for Jamaica.

In this context, Ambassador Marks pointed to the positive economic indicators in Jamaica, which showed that economic fundamentals were going in the right direction.

She requested Ambassador Bridgewater's support of continuous reviews to increase the approval ratio. In responding, the Ambassador-designate stated that she believed that the positive economic developments in Jamaica will augur well for a review of the visa regime.

Ambassador Bridgewater who will take up her post in Jamaica shortly was accompanied by Desk Officer in the Department of State, Mr. Robert Piehel. Also present was Minister-Counsellor in the Jamaican Embassy, Mr. Franz Hall.

Tuesday Timbaland was the focus of a Malibu manhunt amid concerns he might be suicidal. Today, the uber producer is talking about the whole mix-up.

“It ain’t nothin to worry about,” he said during an interview this morning with Ryan Seacrest.

According to family members, the 39-year-old hip-hop superstar disappeared following the theft of a $2 million Jacob & Co. watch from his home.

His wife and mother-in-law called in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said he had left his Malibu home “upset, under a lot of stress” and they feared a “possible suicide attempt.” An APB was issued before 5 p.m., and a helicopter and squad cars were mobilized.

Sheriff’s deputies soon found him driving near the Pacific Coast Highway.

But Timbaland says everyone way overreacted. The beatmaster himself called in to Ryan’s radio show this morning to clear up any suicide rumors, saying that the whole incident was blown out of proportion, and that this isn’t the first time people have stolen from him.

“I don’t know what happened to be honest with you, I don’t know what people are talking about,” he said. “People steal from me all the time. Stuff did happen, it wasn’t a watch it was something else.”

What he was upset about was that the item had been in his house and he knew someone he trusted had taken it. He then took a drive to clear his head.

“It’s people that are close to you, you know,” he explained. “So only thing I did was take a drive to see how my head is.”

When he didn’t respond to frantic calls from friends, they assumed the worst.

“They probably thought because I won’t talk to them, I guess people got worried. If my mom ain’t callin’ or my brother or my best friend, ain’t nothing to worry about. The officer pulled me over, he just had to do procedures. I snapped, ‘Who the heck reported something like that? No, why would I commit suicide?’ ”

Timbaland was calling from the studio, where he is currently putting the final touches on Keri Hilson’s new album.

“I’m in the studio,” he said. “I don’t know if a person committing suicide would be in the studio

More political pressure is mounting on Attorney at Law, Harold Brady, for the role he played in the messy dealings, with Washington-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz declared on Wednesday morning, that the Corporate Area lawyer, who he pegs as the power-broker behind the Manatt extradition matt, will be referred to the governing party's disciplinary committee, for sanction.

Stung by public outcry over the government's handling of the controversy surrounding the Manatt dealings, Information Minister Daryl Vaz pulled no punches on Wednesday morning.

Speaking at the Post Cabinet press briefing Vaz declared that the evidence was clear that it was Harold Brady who misrepresented the government of Jamaica in the behind the scenes negotiations with Manatt Phelps and Phillips.

The Information Minister says Mr. Brady will be referred to the JLP's Disciplinary Committee but did not say if a formal complaint will be made to the General Legal Council for misconduct.

Vaz says the Golding government has acknowledged that the handling of the affair was flawed from the outset and that the Prime Minister has been open to full dialogue with civil society groups on the matter.

He maintains that the Prime Minister was not complicit in the Manatt dealings.

“The Government, through the Prime Minister, has already indicated very loudly and very clearly that this matter from the start was a mistake for which we take full responsibility. Coupled with that there was misrepresentation as it relates to the Government and who was working on behalf of the Government which has made a bad situation worse,”

”That matter has been discussed and I would expect that that matter would have been referred to the disciplinary committee. I don’t have a recent update on it but I know that it has been raised on several occasions on the party level,” Vaz said.

You would think that life is hard nuh hell, without taking up your money and giving it away just like that.

The latest is a story that was carried in the Star warning people to be careful of con men posing as furniture worker and relating a story where one woman fell victim to them.

Come on now, you meet someone at a bus stop claiming that he works at a furniture store and he can give you a great backdoor deal and you take your money and give him. We don’t care what kind of ID he is showing, the odds of him being legit is like 99 to 1.

Cheapness can cost you in the long run. How about shopping around for the best deal? And in any case, he would be stealing to get you that cheap furniture, so you are one of those fostering theft.

We are tired of hearing of the stupid cons that sensible adults are falling for.
Three Miles area of all the places where you find pick pockets, con artists and you only know what, hanging out there.

The daggering thing doan good, cause sometimes it might just cost you your life. According to a report in the paper an eighteen year old lost his life as a result of the wrong alliance.

Seems that he ‘daggered’ his enemy’s woman and ended up being stabbed to death.

Allegations are that he was stabbed and killed while at a river party on Sunday, supposedly over an argument about a girl with whom one of the men was dancing.

The teenager was reportedly stabbed then pronounced dead at the Port Antonio hospital following an altercation with another man while they were patrons at a dance at Rivers View, Rio Grande Valley, in the parish early Sunday morning.

Police sources from the division reported that they have heard the two men were at odds for a while and have had previous run-ins with each other.

Their paths crossed again while at the party and are said to have become involved in a heated argument, after one of the men was seen 'daggering' a female said to be a close friend of the other.

"Investigations are ongoing but nothing is confirmed just yet.

But based on what we have heard so far the two men had been at odds for a while now and things boiled over while they were at the party," a detective corporal from the parish said when contacted yesterday.

"We heard that one saw the other dancing with a woman said to be close to the other and that started the argument. This is one of the arguments we will be looking into."

A 20-year-old who was taken into custody was not charged up to press time last night.

What di hell that we reading in the Star. See it there now, things getting outa control just through we have these rights people breathing dung unno necks. Check out this story and tell us where the cousin rights were in all of this.

According to the Star story the Manchester police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident involving a man who was allegedly buggered by his cousin.
Information gathered through the Constabulary Communication Network and police sources from the parish suggest that the incident occurred on August 8, in the Somerset community of the parish.
Investigators were reluctant in giving out the details of the incident, but say the complainant who is in his early 20s reported that he was taken into bushes against his will and buggered by his cousin.
A report was made to the Mandeville CIB.
"We can confirm that such a report was made but it is a very sensitive issue and we are investigating," a corporal from the Mandeville CIB told the paper.
Meanwhile, word of the incident has reached the other sections of the parish and is being hotly discussed.

Marcus also posted a Ustream video, and Jeff a Twitter video (watch below), from the Liquid Pool Lounge featuring all three basketball players. Jeff posted an additional video filmed inside Haze Nightclub, but he was the only Knight who could be identified in the short clip.

Jeff, who relayed via Twitter that his dad’s basketball camp cost between $13,500 and $15,000 per person, tweeted Sunday that he and Rompza were back in Orlando and ready for classes that began at UCF this week.

Rompza also wrote on his Twitter account Sunday night: “Starting the semester off good tomorrow. Workouts early cant wait. Its time to put UCF on the map for basketball! I want it.”

Celebrity websites TerezOwens.com and TaintedVegas.com posted updates about the Jordan brothers spending $56,000 in Las Vegas in one day. TerezOwens.com said Michael Jordan “caught wind of his son’s extravagant behavior” and the tweet disappeared soon after.

Keith Murray was filmed just outside BB Kings in New York City talking smack and he was visibly intoxicated in the video footage.

Keith Murray says that he "squared off with Tupac at the House of Blues in California" and urged anyone who was "there that night" to "add on" or comment "on Twitter."

Keith Murray then went on to discuss incidents involving the Notorious B.I.G. and Dame Dash. An animated Keith Murray said that he and 50 Grand smashed Dame Dash over the head with a bottle in the club, "word to my mother...my dead mother Black Rose," Murray added. Check out the video footage below.

Track and field super star Jamaica’s Usain Bolt has renewed his sponsorship deal with German apparel company, Puma, trough to 2013.

Under the new contract, the fattest signed in history of track and filed, ties Bolt to Puma through the 2011 World Athletic Championships in Daegu, South Korea and the London Olympics in 2012, where he will defend his 100 and 200 metre titles.

Although not releasing the terms of the contract Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Puma, says Bolt will be the best paid athlete in the history of track and field.

“In this context, we recognise the tremendous performances, victories and times that he’s run over the last couple of years.

He’s one of the few global icons in sports, who can really connect with the consumers and with his fans, and that’s what makes him so unique … he’s not just an amazing athlete, he’s also an amazing personality and from that perspective, the value is significant,” Zeitz said.

Central figure in their Olympic marketing programme

Bolt, who turned 24 on Saturday, says he was very happy with the figure.

He first signed with Puma, which also sponsors the Jamaican Olympic Association and the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association, in 2003 when he was 16 years old.

Norman Peart, Bolt’s Manager, is very pleased with the deal.

“We’re very happy with the new contract that we’ve signed with Puma,” he said.

Puma says it intends making the world’s fastest man the central figure in their Olympic marketing programme and plan to use him to help develop footwear and other apparel.

Zebra lick him head or something? We doan know cause if what we reading in the Star even remotely guh suh, him is one ediot artiste or him must be braver dan anybody else inna Jamaica.

According to the story he was relocated from the Spanish Town lock-up recently after it is alleged that he threw urine on a policeman.

Vassell, who is facing a rape charge in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court, was reported to have done the act early last week.

Allegations are that the incident occurred after Zebra started to defy the rules of officers on duty at the jail. He is reported to have confronted an officer and then the liquid was thrown on him. The police is reported to have then subdued the accused.

In the meanwhile, the preliminary inquiry in the deejay's rape case starts today in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court and will continue tomorrow.

Yesterday, Vassell told the court that he was on doctor's treatment as a result of being beaten when the incident took place at the lock- up.

All we can say is dat him lucky dem neva beat him out a di rest a him senses.

Yardflex was in the house at Stars R Us held at Mas Camp on Saturday and we have to say big up to artistes like Ken Boothe, George Nooks, Errol Dunkley, Derrick Harriot, Karen Smith and the rest of crew who really represented.

Our major issue was with the veteran group Mighty Diamonds. You would think that after almost 40 years in the biz they would know how to read a crowd by this, right?

Think again, the group go on stage and lame out the thing, by the time dem drag out the singing of Manhattan’s There No Me Without You fi show people sey dem all can sing, di crowd was just ready to boo them off.

Then them go ask the crowd if dem want more and you could hear the no dem way a Half Way Tree, and dem claim dem a hear, yes and no.

Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore has a reputation of being one of the hardest venues in Jamaica to fill. Just ask Supreme Promotions’ Isaiah Laing, promoter of Sting, he should know.

However, last Saturday and Sunday, a bumper crowd of parents and ‘pickney’ descended on the complex, the likes of which Jamworld has never seen.

It was telecoms company LIME back-to-school fair, wittily entitled, Skool Aid. And, just like the popular drink, Kool Aid, the fair was full of flavour and oh so refreshing.

Well advertised throughout the Portmore community – and with the magic word ‘FREE’ attached – Skool Aid proved an instant hit for all involved. It was one of those events that had one wondering why it took so long to happen.

LIME provided a balanced mixture of entertainment and sobriety by transforming Jamworld into an amusement park chockful of all the rides a kid could enjoy while focusing squarely on the realities of back-to-school.

The Ministry of Healt was on spot to provide kids with immunizations; Upper Cut Barbers must be commended for responding to the call and giving free hair cuts for boys under 14 and book stores such as Sangsters, along with Carlong and Pearsons Publishers turned out with discounted supplies for purchase;

With Jamworld almost bursting it at the seams with excited kids who get hungry quickly, food concessionaires licked their fingers and the winding lines told their own story.

But for many – both parents and children – it was the reports of free backpacks from LIME which was one of the main attractions.

On Saturday, many made mental notes to be present on Sunday as they witnessed the exodus of kids from Jamworld walking proudly with their LIME bags on their backs, ready for school. SO it was not surprising that Sunday’s event was even bigger and better.

All the kinks of day one were ironed out and the organizers were better prepared to handle the throngs of persons which streamed endlessly into Jamworld throughout the day and into the night.

Kudos to LIME for a wonderful effort, and in particular for considering the needs of the 300 kids from Tivoli who were carried by bus to Jamworld and given cherished moments to remember.